Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel

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Entrance facade of the basilica
inner space

The Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel ( Dutch Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel ) is a Roman Catholic church in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant . The pilgrimage church of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and bears the title of a minor basilica .

history

For a long time Scherpenheuvel was just a hamlet of Zichem and became more important than Zichem due to the influx of pilgrims. In 1605 it received city rights and canals and at the same time a seven-star floor plan with the basilica in the middle.

The basilica is one of the oldest domed churches in what was then the Netherlands and was consecrated in 1627 by the Archbishop of Mechelen , Jacobus Boonen . It was built on the initiative of the Archdukes Albrecht VII of Austria and Isabella and financed by them. At the inauguration, Isabella sacrificed jewels on the altar staircase. With this she wanted to show that earthly goods are not the most important. Pope Pius IX approved the canonical coronation of the statue of Our Lady von Scherpenheuvel in 1872 . The church was founded in 1922 by Pope Pius XI. elevated to a minor basilica and has been a listed building since 1952 . On May 15, 2011, during a mass, one of Pope Benedict XVI. donated golden rose to the basilica.

basilica

The architect of the building was Wenceslas Cobergher . He chose a baroque basilica in the shape of a heptagon, a symbol of the seven joys and seven sorrows of Mary . The construction took place under the direction of Josse Bouckaert , head of the pilgrimage site and later Bishop of Ypres . The painting above the main altar is by Theodoor Van Loon.

The dome has no light openings and is covered with lead. It is decorated with 298 heptagonal stars. The side chapels are made of iron sandstone that was quarried in nearby Langdorp. The square bell tower with a carillon of 49 bells is made of sandstone. The lantern could only be built after a donation from Philip IV of Spain .

The organ with its (almost southern German) organ case dates from 1775. The original builder was Egidius-Franciscus Van Peteghem. The organ was romanticized by Leonard Drijvers in 1878.

Web links

Commons : Basilica of Our Lady von Scherpenheuvel  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ List of churches with canonically crowned images
  2. ^ Basiliek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel on gcatholic.org
  3. ↑ Basiliek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw (Dutch)

Coordinates: 50 ° 58 ′ 49 "  N , 4 ° 58 ′ 42"  E