Saint-Philippe
Rue des Récollets
5600 Philippeville
Church | 1559 | Neoromanesque | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 April - 31 October
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 9.00 - 19.00
Sun 9.00 - 19.00
01 November - 31 March
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 9.00 - 17.00
Sun 9.00 - 17.00
and every day during school holidays and public holidays.
Guided tour
+32 471 90 55 84
Religious offices
Sunday 10.45 am
Description
The church is listed classically under the patronage of he who gave his name to the town: Philippe.
The building, which has undergone several alterations, is made up of three naves and five bays. Mainly due to the half-light it has an atmosphere of peace and devotion.
The décor is sober, notably the high altar with its bas relief. On the altar in the left nave is an altar piece of the Virgin Mary attributed to Giovanni Cimbué. There is another interesting painting on the left wall of the central nave: The apparition of Mary to Saint Bernadin attributed to Gasper De Craeyer.
The stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes are the work of Camille Ganton.
Inside there are numerous tombstones of which that of Martin Colbert, killed at the battle of Walcourt, the son of the great Colbert , Louis XIV’s minister. It’s in the wall of the right nave.
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
Photos
Remarkable elements
The church
It is a low church, solid and compact, with a low tower to prevent it from being the target of cannon bombardment. For a long time this church was a military chapel that served for the liturgy of the garrison (1556). The building is in limestone with chamfered basements and has 3 naves and 5 bays. Two thick columns on which two stones were bricked with Latin inscriptions support the tower (1598). At the top you can see a masonry vault with crossed ribs.
The interior view of the church is no longer that from the beginning. The last reshuffle of the day sign of 1906.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
The main altar
It is a gift from Mr. notary Eugène Gérard, mayor of Philippeville from 1911 to 1924. On the front of the altar is a bas-relief representing seven heads blowing wind on a flaming rock whose foot is immersed in water. Coats of arms are placed on both sides. They are those of Lazarus de Schwendi, first governor of Philippeville in 1556.
The altars of the two side aisles
In the left aisle, on the altar, there is an altarpiece representing Our Lady carrying the Child Jesus. This painting by Giovanni Cimabué was donated by Vicar General Benoit Charlier, from Philippeville.
In the right aisle above the altar is a painting by J.Fallois from Maredsos. To the left it represents the Last Supper, and to the right the Crucified Christ.
The stained glass windows
All stained-glass windows were made by Camille Ganton (Verviers 1879 - Ghent 1946), painter-glazier in Ghent. They show a personal characteristic: "Camille Ganton-Defoin and a little bear.
The five stained-glass windows of the choir show scenes from the Old and New Testaments and the four evangelists. The left window of the transept shows the birth of Jesus, the Holy Family at work and the death of Joseph. The right window represents the last moments of Christ on earth. On the stained-glass windows in the back of the aisles you can see Saint Peter and Paul, Saint Michael and Saint John the Baptist. Above the entrance stands Christ with Mary and Philippus along him.
The 3 paintings
The painting on the left wall of the nave shows the apparition of Mary to Bernardus van Siënna. It is a work by Gaspard de Crayer and was restored in 1888 by Henry Le Roy.
The two canvases on the wall opposite the altar, of which the artists are unknown, show, one, the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine of Siënna, the other a scene of the Nativity.
The tombstones
34 tombstones are embedded in the church wall or in the floor. Some were damaged during the period of the Revolution to remove any trace of the kingdom. One of these stones (in the right aisle) refers to the death of Antoine Martin Colbert, son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Minister of Louis XIV, who died in the military hospital at Philippeville after having been hurt during the Battle of Walcourt.
