Saint Medard

Choir

The semi-circular vaulted choir of Saint-Médard is flanked by two apsidoles, freed during the 1970s restoration from annexed sacristies. This revealed a small Romanesque door to the east. Its lower part shows five Romanesque openings with arches, while the upper floor has five Gothic openings aligned above. A thick cordon separates the two levels, marking the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, making the church a remarkable illustration of this evolution.

Apsidioles

The right-hand apsidol when facing the central apse attracts attention by the tombstone that is located there. Until the 18th century, all the priests of Saint-Médard were in fact religious "professed of the Order of Hospitallers". The title of brother was attached to their name. We can therefore see it on Brother Joannes Stassoul's epitaph. "Here lies buried Brother Jean Stassoul, priest of this church...". The last of the Hospitaller Brothers is Remacle Mohy, who died in 1621.

The 18th century ceiling and the vaults of the side naves

The main nave vault, dated 1759, transformed the church’s interior to 18th century standards. Lowered and adorned with stuccoes, it became a “rocky vault.” Originally ribbed like the side naves, traces of this primitive form remain: its start in the west gable, column bases at the pillars, pillar outlines, and transept windows partly hidden by the lowered vault.

The mystical ecstasy of Saint Theresa of Avila

This Flemish School religious scene, possibly by Erasmus Quellin (1607–1678) but considered “Anonymous” by the IRPA after restoration, is an oil on canvas perhaps intended for Saint-Médard church. Though the link between Sainte-Thérèse and Jodoigne is uncertain, the theme was fashionable in the late 17th–early 18th centuries. The painting stands out for the delicacy of its faces and expressive rendering.

St. Helena receiving a cross from the Pope

Oil on canvas, early 18th century, by an unknown author. Its large size reflects church display traditions. The painting likely depicts Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, discoverer of the True Cross in the 4th century. Yet it could represent Sainte-Renèlde, who brought a relic from the Holy Land and is venerated in Mechelen, or Sainte-Radegonde, France’s first queen to receive a fragment of the cross from Emperor Justin II.

Gothic door

The original portal was the sole entrance until 1822, when a larger one was added beside the tower. Restored in 1970, it regained its main role. Its tympanum once held a statue of Saint Medard, now inside the church, altered to fit the Gothic frame. To the left, traces remain of a small oratory, turned into a hermitage in 1643, known as the chapel of the “petit Saint-Médard.”

Download the plan of the remarkable elements