Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk with the Counts’ Chapel & 1302
Construction of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk was started in 1199 on the initiative of Count Boudewijn IX. The church lay within the comital domain of Kortrijk, which was completely walled and enclosed, except for a section on the Leie River. Of this early Gothic church, the western facade, central nave and transept remain. The towers were built at the end of the 13th century. The church was rebuilt after being largely destroyed in the battle of Westrozebeke in 1382. The interior was later decorated in Baroque style.
After the Guldensporenslag in 1302, which took place nearby on the Groeningeveld, the Flemish hung five hundred golden spurs of slain French knights in the church, in thanks to Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Groeninge. Along with other valuables, Breton mercenaries confiscated these spurs in 1382 after the battle of Westrozebeke. The spurs were later replaced by copies, which are still present in the church. The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk houses a number of art treasures, such as Anthony van Dijck's ‘Kruisoprichting'.
In 1370, Count Lodewijk of Male built the Gravenkapel as a mausoleum for himself. In the chapel you will find the beautiful murals of the counts of Flanders and a statue of St Catherine (a recognised masterpiece). The stained glass windows accentuate the comital character of the church: the counts of Flanders, armoured knights during the Guldensporenslag and others.
Besides the portraits of the counts of Flanders, the Gravenkapel in Kortrijk possesses a beautiful series of small sculptures embedded in the various arch bays. These spandrels offer not only an anthology of the best-known themes from religious iconography, but also beautiful renderings of more mundane scenes such as medieval knights’ tournaments. The KGOKK (Koninklijke Geschied- en Oudheidkundige Kring van Kortrijk) studied the spandrels and had them 3D scanned to make the sculptures known to a wider audience.
Did you know...
Did you know that Philip of Alsace brought in the relic of the Heilig Haar (Sacred Hair) during the third crusade? This relic is kept in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk. Consequently, the Heilig Haar procession used to take place every year in Kortrijk. And that Guido Gezelle was the vicar of the parish between 1872 and 1889?
