St. Gertrude's Church - Wetteren

The imposing St. Gertrude's Church, with its robust tower of no less than 65 meters high, has served as the beating heart and beacon of the community since 1866.

The church is the brainchild of the Ghent architect Louis Minard . He designed a building in the so-called 'round arch style', which gives the church an almost Byzantine, powerful appearance. It replaced a small, old church that once stood in the middle of the Markt. The construction was largely facilitated by the influential Viscount Vilain XIIII , whose traces can be found everywhere in the interior.

The church houses one of the most curious collections in Europe: the habit dolls . In glass cabinets, you'll find 138 dolls, each dressed down to the smallest detail in the authentic costumes of various nuns: the 138 "silent sisters." A unique tribute to the rich religious history of the region.

Looking up at the choir, you'll see two mysterious, enclosed balconies or loggias . Here, noble families (such as the Viscount) attended Mass, literally elevated above the common people and safely behind glass.

The church houses the painting 'The Mystical Mass of Saint Gregory' . This masterpiece from the 15th century comes from the studio of the famous Flemish Primitive Hugo van der Goes and was a personal gift from the Vilain XIIII family.

Wetteren is inextricably linked to the theft of the Righteous Judges (the Ghent Altarpiece panel). The main suspect, Arsène Goedertier, was a regular at this church. Persistent legends still claim that the missing panel is hidden somewhere in a hidden cavity beneath the church floor.

The beautiful 18th-century pulpit depicts Saint Gertrude, the patron saint of vermin. Take a close look at her staff: you'll see little mice clambering onto it. She was regularly invoked by the residents of Wetteren in the past to ward off mouse and rat infestations.

Willem Vandenameele