St. Michael's Church - Zuienkerke

Initially there was a simple auxiliary church of the parish of Uitkerke, and around 1300 a late Romanesque basilical cruciform church was built, the tower base of which has been preserved.

At the end of the 13th century the church was renovated in a Gothic style. When the religious wars broke out around 1570, the church was destroyed. The church was restored in the 17th century. From 1615 to 1618, the choir and sacristy were restored in Baroque style. In 1627 the tower was restored. In 1698 the entire western part of the church, which was in a dilapidated condition, was demolished. The crossing tower now became a west tower.

It is a hall church in which the built-in tower has a square substructure (from around 1300) and an octagonal superstructure (15th century) in tuff stone, which is topped with an octagonal spire.

The church is surrounded by a cemetery.

The church furniture is in baroque and rococo style. The high altar and the northern side altar , dedicated to Our Lady, date from 1642. The side altar, dedicated to Saint Cornelius, dates from 1846-1848. The communion rail is from 1730 and the confessionals are from 1718 and 1729, in Louis XIV style.

The organ , probably built by Dominicus Berger, dates from 1789 and the organ case was designed in Louis XV style. It probably comes from a monastery closed by the French.

There is a 17th century painting depicting Our Lady with Child, in a medallion with fruits and flowers.

Willem Vandenameele