Nos événements

On the market square of Meulebeke, the Church of Saint Amandus raises its tall, tapering spire, a landmark that has risen above the village for centuries. A simple oratory of wood and loam may already have stood here in the seventh century; around 1100 the first stone church was built, a Romanesque hall church with a crossing tower. A deed of gift of 1163 places it under the patronage of Saint Amandus.

The history of the church is one of trial and recovery. In 1645 it was set ablaze by the French army; in 1715 the parish priest Jacobus Mys had it rebuilt in the Baroque style. When it grew too small, a complete renewal was decided upon from 1892: the architect Jules Soete of Roeselare designed the present Gothic Revival hall church, raised between 1893 and 1896. On 21 September 1896 the Bishop of Bruges, Mgr Waffelaert, consecrated the building.

The twentieth century, too, left its marks: during both world wars the church suffered heavy damage and saw its bells carried off, each time followed by patient restoration. In 1962–1963 the interior was thoroughly rearranged. So the Church of Saint Amandus remains a living witness to the resilience of its community.