Nos événements

On the Bredabaan in Merksem, today part of Antwerp, the Church of Saint Bartholomew stands as the oldest parish church of the locality. As early as the period between 1161 and 1216, Merksem became an independent parish. At its core the present church goes back to the fifteenth century; it was rebuilt in 1615–1619 and afterwards enlarged several times, among others in 1767 and in 1832–1833.

In 1937–1938 the transept was widened and a larger choir built to the design of Jef Huygh. The tower and large parts of the church, however, were destroyed by bombing in 1944 and 1945. From 1947 to 1951 the building was carefully restored to its pre-war form. It is an oriented brick cruciform church with a three-sided closed choir and a built-in west tower, crowned by a bell-shaped spire.

The interior keeps a rich array of works: a marble high altar of 1645, choir stalls of 1661 and confessionals from around 1700. Especially fine is the naturalistic pulpit, carved in 1725 by Cornelius Struyf. Near the church, a pillory of 1708 recalls the old life of the village. The church is a protected heritage site.