Saint Elizabeth
Rue de Nimy 18
7000 Mons
Church | XVI-XVIII | Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon 9.00 - 18.00
Tue 9.00 - 18.00
Wed 9.00 - 18.00
Thu 9.00 - 18.00
Fri 9.00 - 18.00
Sat 9.00 - 18.00
Sun 10.00 - 18.00
Guided tour
Office du Tourisme de Mons : +32-65-33 55 80
Religious offices
Monday - Tuesday - Friday - Saturday : 9 am
Sunday : 6 pm
Description
Close to the prestigious main square, this important Mons church has a long eventful history which explains its present architecture.
It was consecrated in 1588 in the Gothic style of Hainaut. After a fire in 1714 some Gothic elements remained, notably the columns, but the rest was rebuilt in Baroque style, particularly the choir and the upper part of the nave. On the façade are surprising stone figures of a knight and a siren.
The interior is remarkably large, 62m long and 29m wide, with 3 naves, separated by 16 gothic pillars, and 5 side altars with Neo-Gothic altar pieces. The works of art include a crucified Christ, the reliquary of Saint George, a statue of Our Lady of Hal, the pulpit and the organs.
The church also has a bell tower dating from 1720 from which there is a fine view over the town.
Photos
Media
Remarkable elements
Stained glass windows
Pulpit
Saint Georges reliquary
A reliquary containing the relics of Saint George (17th century). Since 2015, a contemporary icon dedicated to Saint George has been displayed next to the reliquary.
Reredos
A neo-Gothic altarpiece with its original polychrome decoration.
Organ
The Great Organ was built in 1778. It was rebuilt in 1849 by the organ builder Joseph Merklin (who was based in Ixelles-lez-Bruxelles at the time) and went on to become one of his masterpieces. It is notable for being one of the oldest surviving examples from the early days of the Merklin-Schütze workshop. This instrument also bears witness to the revival of Belgian organ-building to which Merklin contributed in the mid-19th century.
