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Cathedral of our Lady

Grote Markt and Town hall

Guild houses-Vlaaykensgang

Hoogstraat and Grote Pieter Potstraat
Printers museum Plantin-Moretus

Museum Mayer van den Bergh-Maagdenhuis

Strolling to the Carolus Borromeus church

Rockoxhuis- Rubens tomb at St.Jacobskerk

Cogels-Osylei area, unique in the world (1)

Cogels Osy area, unique in the world (2)

The cathedral of Our Lady (Onze Lieve-Vrouwkathedraal) is the symbol of Antwerp. This marvelous edifice that spreads out on 1 hectare is the biggest gothic cathedral of the old Netherlands (Belgium and Holland). Venerated since 9 centuries it’s home is Antwerp all right and undissociable from its skyline with its123 meters high spire and strange bulb cupola at the summit of the crossing point of the transept, well visible from the outside, wherever you are to observe the cathedral....
In the 9th century, it was a small chapel, located outside the city walls. Its history begins when the roman church (12th century) was improved to a parish church. The church suffered a lot of changments in the 13th and 14th century until it was demolished. Then they started the actual cathedral, the city of Antwerp being at that time one of the richest in Europe. Its construction (1352-1521) took almost two centuries.And at the start it was planned to build it three times bigger: nothing was too much to show off the prosperity of the city! The choirs (1352-1356) are the most ancient part. The foundation for the towers was built in 1420 and 1430 with Pieter Appelmans as the main architect.Masterwork of Gothic, it has seven naves and 125 pillars!! widening the church to 67, long 119 meters and some vaults going up to 27 meters. 128 windows are coloured, its roofs cover more than a hectare! The spire towers123 meters high (said that already before;-)), with a carillon with 47 bells All professions and corporations wanted to have their own altar in the church, which makes 57 of them.
Like all its sisters, the cathedral passed highs and lows. In the lows, the gigantic fire of 1517, the "iconoclastic" raids of the protestants (1566 and 1581). Destroyed paintings, damages altars, dispersed relics. The good sides of all this unpleasantness was that each destruction was rebuild with a new embellishment. The Counter reform re-established the cult in all its fasts.
But when the French occupied Antwerp, they had the brilliant idea to make the church into their horses stable and ordered the destruction of the cathedral!! They could use the iron, lead and stones for their own purpose. Luckily a certain architect Jan Blom slowed the official execution so much down that finally the project was abandoned.
The fact that the building of the cathedral lasted for 200 years means that different architects had their saying in the building of the cathedral. And the most recent have not been the most unskilled. From 1973 to 1993, the edifice was cleaned, furbished, restored and consolidated from the ground to the highest bell tower. The underground was searched, its treasures enhanced. In one short word, a complete and successful "lifting”!
Don't start your visit without the leaflet given at the entrance (there is an entrance fee though). All the masterworks are clearly marked on it.....But first you enter through the central portal, neo-gothic style, coming from the Handschoenmarkt, representing the “Last Judgment”. Not to enter in this cathedral is a crime of lese-majesty!It shows its most precious treasures and paintings especially from Rubens: four marvels, with a realism grazing the baroque: "the Cross set-up" (1610), " Christ resurrection"(1612), " La Descente de la Croix"(1612), and "Assumption of the saint Virgin"(1625-1626. Colours explode in your face. Not surprising: it is said that Rubens composed his famous red colours with pigeon's blood! You will see also two magnificent retables, Our Lady of the Peace and the Legend of Saint-Barbe, as well as the recumbent effigy of the tomb of Isabelle de Bourbon. And don't forget to admire the tower.
Want a little anecdote? At the entry of the cathedral, just to the right side when you exit you can see a wrought iron well made by Quinten Metsys, the famous Flemish painter and iron wrought genius. I heard the following anecdote since I was a child but I take the story in right chronology out one of my favourite travel guides. (Quote): young Metsys was a blacksmith. He fell in love with a painter’s daughter, but the "father-in-law" was absolutely opposed to marriage....So, whenever he finished a painting, the good man granted himself a little feast in town. And he left his daughter alone.....and who came for a secret visit? Our Metsys of course! The young blacksmith painted a fly on the picture the father just achieved. When the good man returned from his libations, he strived to chase the fly of his painting, the insect looked so realistic!! Good loser, he admitted the talent of the young Metsys and accepted him as his son-in-law.(unquote). Look closely at the well: there is a Flemish inscription "De smidt die uit liefde schilder werd", translated : "The blacksmith who became a painter out of love".Some more inside views of the cathedral:

Brussels	Antwerp	Ghent	Bruges
ANTWERP- Cathedral of Our-Lady-O.LV.Kathedraal