Mechlin Cathedral

The cathedral of Mechelen, in front of it houses on the market square

Longhouse

The Mechlin Cathedral with the patronage of Sint Rombout ( St. Rumold ) is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mechlin-Brussels in Mechlin , Belgium . The church, begun around 1200 and completed in its present form around 1500, is one of the main works of European Gothic .

History and architecture

The Gothic Sint-Rombouts-Kirche, a replacement for a Romanesque predecessor building, was built as a monumental shrine for the relics of the city's saint, as a city and market church to represent the bourgeois self-confidence and as a collegiate church for the associated collegiate monastery. It is an east - facing three-aisled basilica on a cross plan.

In the first construction phase from around 1200 to 1320, the transept , the main aisles and the two side aisles of the nave and then the first three yokes of the choir were built in the early Gothic style. The consecration was celebrated on April 28, 1312.

After the great city fire of 1342, which also damaged the Rombout Church, the central nave was raised and equipped with a triforium in the high Gothic period from around 1365 to 1451 . The choir received its apse and a wreath of seven chapels. The Picardian builder Jan van Osy brought in forms of French cathedral Gothic . The vaulting of the central nave followed in 1437 and the choir in 1451.

In 1451, Pope Nicholas V suspended an indulgence for visiting St. Rombouts Church . As a result, the flow of pilgrims swelled and construction activity received a new boost.

In the third construction phase, from 1452 to 1520, three chapels were added to the north aisle; the largest of them extends over three yokes. Above all, the mighty tower was given its shape during this time. A total height of 167 m was planned. However, only the base of the 70 m high octagonal peak was realized, which is visible above the surrounding balcony . The actual height is therefore 97.28 m.

In 1559, with the establishment of the Archdiocese of Mechelen, St. Rombout became cathedral.

The baroque side portals date from 1626.

The altars, tombs and paintings inside the cathedral are predominantly works of the 17th century by important masters such as Lucas Faydherbe , Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen , Gaspar de Crayer , Michiel Coxcie and Anthonis van Dyck .

Bells

In the tower hangs a mighty chime of six bells , which is one of the largest in Belgium. The cathedral's large carillon is famous . It consists of 49 bells that were cast by the Hemony brothers and also serves as a "training carillon" for the renowned Koninklijke Beiaardschool (Royal Carillon School) in Mechelen. The Belgian Carillonneur (Dutch: beiaardier ) Jef Denyn founded it in 1922.

No.	Surname	Casting year	Foundry, casting location	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg)	Percussive ( HT - 1 / 16 )
1	Salvator	1844	Andreas Lodewijk van Aerschodt, Leuven	2,351	7,924	ges 0 −2
2	Karel	1696	Melchior de Haze, Antwerp	1,920	4,218	as 0 −4
3	Rumoldus	1860	Severinus Lodewijk van Aerschodt, Leuven	1,873	4,232	b 0 −5
4th	Sint-Jan-Berchmans	1947	Klokkengieterij Marcel Michiels, Tournai	1,592	2,448	c 1 −12
5	Magdalena	1697	Melchior de Haze, Antwerp	1,468	1,973	of the 1 −2
6th	Libertus (Poortklok)	1766	Andreas van den Gheyn, Leuven	1,370	1,537	d 1 −7

organ

Main organ

There are two organs in the cathedral .

The main organ on the west gallery was built in 1957 by the organ builder Stevens.

Hauptwerk C– Prestant 16 Bourdon 16 Prestant 08th Flûte harmonique 08th Holpijp 08th Gemshoorn 08th Kwint 05 1 ⁄ 3  ′ Oktaaf 04th Gemshoorn 04th Koppelfluit 04th Kwint 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′ Oktaaf 02 Veldfluit 02 Mixture VI-VIII Scherp IV-V Cornet V Trumpet 16 Trumpet 08th Trumpet 04th

Swell C– Covered 16 Prestant 08th Holpijp 08th Spitsgamba 08th Voix céleste 08th Oktaaf 04th Open fluit 04th Nasard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′ Zwegel 02 Woudfluit 02 Terts 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′ Sifflet 01 Mixture IV-V Cimbel II-III Bombard 16 Trumpet 08th Hobo 08th Vox humana 08th Head trumpet 04th Tremulant

Positive C– Kwintadeen 16 Prestant 08th Spitsfluit 08th Night horn 08th Oktaaf 04th Blockfluit 04th Oktaafken 02 Night horn 02 Spitskwint 01 1 ⁄ 3  ′ Mixture IV-V Tertscimbel III-IV Sesquialtera III Dulciaan 16 Kromhorn 08th Trumpet Regaal 04th

Kronwerk C– Roerfluit 08th Kwintadeen 08th Zing. Principaal 04th Night horn 04th Zwitserspijp 02 Blokfluit 02 Larigot 01 1 ⁄ 3  ′ Acuta IV-V Sesquialtera II Tendrils 16 shawm 08th Tremulant

Pedal C– Principaalbas 32 Subbas 32 Principaalbas 16 Prestant 16 Subbas 16 Oktaafbas 08th Prestant 08th Gedekt 08th Koraalbas 04th Open fluit 04th Oktaaf 02 Night horn 01 Ruispijp III-IV Mixture V Bazuin 32 Bazuin 16 Trumpet 08th shawm 04th Zing. Cornet 02

In the side gallery there is a smaller instrument that was built in 1919 by the organ builder Stevens. This instrument has 30  stops on two manuals and a pedal .

I main work C– 1. Bourdon 16 ′ 2. Montre 8th' 3. Bourdon Harmonique 8th' 4th Gamba 8th' 5. Prestant 4 ′ 6th Octave 2 ′ 7th Mixture II 8th. Scharff II 9. Cornet V 8th' 10. Reed 8th'

II Swell C– 11. Flûte Harmonique 8th' 12. Bourdon 8th' 13. Salicional 8th' 14th Voix céleste 8th' 15th Principal 4 ′ 16. Flute 4 ′ 17th Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 18th Forest flute 2 ′ 19th Flageolet 2 ′ 20th mixture 21st Trumpets 8th' Tremulant

Pedals C– 22nd Prestant 16 ′ 23. Soubasse 16 ′ 24. Soft bass 16 ′ 25th Octave 8th' 26th Bass 8th' 27. Choral bass 4 ′ 28. Reed 16 ′ 29 Reed 8th' 30th Reed 4 ′

Web links

Commons : Mechlin Cathedral  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• History and Architecture (Dutch) ( Memento of October 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Video recording of the ringing including data listing
2. ↑ Wim Alings: Kentekens in stad en land . Nefkens, Utrecht 1978, pp. 38-39.
3. ↑ Information on disposition
4. ↑ Information on the organ

Coordinates: 51 ° 1 ′ 43.8 "  N , 4 ° 28 ′ 45.4"  E