Provost of St. Donatian (Bruges)
The Provosty of St. Donatian ( Dutch : Sint-Donaasproosdij ) is a triumphalistic Baroque building on Burgplatz in Bruges and the former headquarters of the ecclesiastical estate of St. Donatian.
history
In 1089, under Robert I of Flanders , the provosts of the Church of St. Donatian became hereditary chancellors of the county of Flanders . In this capacity, they not only took care of the count's administration, but also built up an important ecclesiastical property that had its own administration and its own court. When the city of Bruges received its first bishop , Petrus Curtius , in 1560 , the titles of provost and chancellor were transferred to the 17 bishops until the end of the Ancien Régime .
The current building was built between 1665 and 1666 by the Antwerp architect Cornelis Verhouven and the Antwerp canon Frederic Hillewerve in the triumphalist Baroque style , which is typical of the Counter-Reformation .
The distinctive baroque design language is shaped by the Antwerp baroque architecture of the 17th century and is unique in the city center of Bruges. The monumental door served as a gate for horses and carriages. At the top is Justitia and on the highest fronton are the Greek gods of truth, benevolence and justice. The many sculptures were made by the Bruges sculptor Cornelis Gailliaert .
The provost's office originally consisted of two floors and nine traves. The right side was extended by half a travée and a new side gable in 1865. This was necessary because the east pediment, which was not to be seen, became visible at the beginning of the 19th century after the demolition of the Cathedral of St. Donatian . The former provost's office received its current dimensions in 1907, when it was expanded by six traves after some houses on the left side (towards the market square ) were demolished.
The building was thoroughly restored between 1972 and 1974 according to plans by the architect Luc Dugardyn. The sculptures were renewed by J. Dekeyzer (Langemark) in Lavaux-Stein. The provost's office was renovated in 2001 and is currently the official residence of the governor of West Flanders.
literature
- Jeroen Cornilly: Monumentaal West-Vlaanderen . Bruges 2003. p. 47.
- Stefanie Gilté, Aagje Vanwalleghem: Proosdij van de kerkelijke heerlijkheid van Sint-Donaas. In: Inventory Onroerend Erfgoed . Retrieved January 7, 2020.