Nos événements
200 years César Franck and 150 years Cavallé-Coll in Leuven
Eric Lebrun (F).
Organ: Delmotte/Verschueren (2020).
Programma: César Franck - The great works for organ.
Event Host Building
Saint Peter
The collegial church of Saint Peter is a masterpiece of Brabant style Gothic. It is the oldest church in Louvain, being built originally in Romanesque style in 986. Destroyed by a fire in 1176, the present, gotich church dates from 1425.
Badly bomb-damaged in 1944, the church has undergone significant restoration. In the 16th century the church should have had three high towers but as the ground was sandy and unstable the building work collapsed every time. Thus the towers remained unfinished.
From the outside you definitely notice the choir with the seven chevettes. Between two of them an extra chevette was built for 'Fiere Margriet', a saint of the people.
Inside, the choir opens behind a superb rood-screen (1499) dominated by a large Christ on a cross. Underneath the choir is an ancient Romanesque crypt, the sepulchre of the Counts of Louvain.
The 'Treasury of Saint Peter' can be found in the choir with as show piece The Last Supper (1464) by Dirk Bouts. De Noblemen Triptych is a copy from Rogier van der Weyden.
Unfortunately it is impossible to list here the other splendours in this church but many of its works of art are worth taking the time to visit and admire. Definitely take a look at the sacrament tower (circa 1450) and the mausoleum of Henry I, first duke of Brabant, in the presbytery (13th century)
From the outside on the Grote Markt square you have a spectacular view on the carillon and the timekeeper with Jacquemart.
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