Cathédrale St Michel & Gudule, Brussels

4 more images

“Few cities have a cathedral in so impressive a position as St. Gudule — on a steep hill-top, with a long flight of steps at the base of its towers.”
— from “Transatlantic Sketches” 1875 by Henry James

IMPRESSIVE IMPRESSION Along with the grand staircase, built in 1861, the park that stretches out in front of the cathedral helps add to the open and impressive look of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudule.

As early as the beginning of the 11th century a chapel dedicated to St. Michael stood on this site. When the relics of St. Gudula were brought to the chapel on the Treurenberg Hill in 1047, the church of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula was established.

The look of the present church dates from the renovation that was carried out between the 13th and 15th centuries. The style was changed from Romanesque to Gothic. The most recent renovation was completed in November 1999; the following month the marriage of Belgium’s Crown Prince Philippe took place here.

In July of 1803 a Te Deum was celebrated here with Napoleon and his wife Joséphine present. Twelve years later another Te Deum celebrated the Napoleon’s defeat at nearby Waterloo.

4 more images

The Cathedral Sts Michel-et-Gudule is the national church of Belgium, but has only been a cathedral since 1962. It was built 1226 in the Brabant Gothic style (named after Henry I, Duke of Brabant who began construction) and is one of the best examples that remains of this type of architecture. The cathedral has had its share of bad tidings, but was never completely destroyed – more from the iconoclast damage and French revolutionaries ransacking the building.

The interior has been redone in a Baroque style and contains some wonderful stained glass windows that date from the 1500s. The pulpit is a flamboyant Baroque style and shows Saint Michael (one of the saints of Brussels whom the church is named after) killing the dragon. The other saint the church is named after is Saint Gudule – a local woman from the 8th century and another patron saint of Brussels.

The nave of the cathedral is lined with statues of the 12 apostles, each with a gilded symbol – an example would be the keys of St. Peter are gilded on the stone statue. These statues are Baroque in style and were added in the 16th-17th centuries. The columns of the cathedral demonstrate a typically Belgian styling with the large, thick columns topped with cabbage leaf-like decorations at the top. There are also cluster columns towards the rear of the nave – typical of French design and large to support the two front towers.

Looking up the nave towards the altar area, you can get a feel for the centuries it took to complete the building and how the styles were changing from the Romanesque to the Gothic. Up towards the altar, the first area to be built, you will see the windows are smaller and there is more wall for support, but farther back in the nave (towards the entrance) the walls get higher and the windows larger, typical of the Gothic styling.

In the back of the cathedral were some interesting photos of a royal wedding that was held in the church, a reminder of the status of the cathedral in Brussels.

The cathedral is located in the center of the city, just a short walk from the Grand Place, at Parvis Sainte-Gudule.

Covering 12 centuries of history, this large cathedral was finished in 1047, but it was renovated in the 13Th century. The actual facade comes from the 15th century. The most interesting details are the stained glass windows, and the vestiges of the initial construction.

4 more images

Stepping inside the Cathedral Of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula you cannot help being impressed with the long time line it showcases before your eyes. The nave of the church is lined with twelve pillars each bearing a statue of the Apostles the nave dates back to the 17th. Century. The little side Chapel of our Lady of Redemtion felt like a place of sanctury with its wonderful stained glass windows designed on sketches by Rubens pupil van Thulden dates to the mid 17th. Century. You then find yourself looking at the new Swallow organ made in Barcelona by German organ maker Gerherd Grenzing and English architect Simon Platt the organ was installed in the year 2000. The Cathedral has a very simple granite block Altar were you can see the meridian line cross the Church through the centre of the Altar. The Church is free to enter visits to the crypt and the two exhibitions have a small fee but are only open at certain times. There is a Cathedral shop where you can buy guide books, posters and religious items. Toilets are also available here and you will have to pay 1 euro so take some change with you

4 more images

Located in the city centre, the Cathedral is impressive and well worth visiting when you are in the city. Lots to see and a good place just to sit and reflect on life and the world as it passes you by!

1 more image

The St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is a beautiful church in Gothic style from the 13th century, although there are parts of it that are as old as the 11th century. On first impression what it reminded me of was Notre-Dame de Paris and de Montreal and a little bit of Votivkirken in Vienna.

The Cathedral got its name from the patron saints of Brussels, St. Michael (the archangel) and St. Gudula (her relics are in the Cathedral), and it's used for Catholic services, royal marriages (like the Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilda in the late 1990's) and state funerals.

A church dedicated to St Michael has probably existed on this site since the 9th century. A Romanesque church was built here in the 11th century, when it became a collegiate church; soon after the relics of St Gudula were moved there and her name added to the dedication. The present church, in Gothic Brabançon style, was begun in 1226, on the orders of Henry I, Duke of Brabant.

2 more images

First completed in 1047, the Cathedral of St Michael became the final resting place of the remains of Saint Gudula, which the Duke of Brabant brought here. So it was renamed the Cathedral of St Michael and Gudula. Most of the construction dates from the 13th century.

It incorporates a mix of styles, reflecting the changes that have occured over the years. It also reflects the position of Brussels, on the crossroads of France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It's the official site of all royal Belgian weddings and funerals.