Saint Leonard
Dorpsstraat 21
2960 Sint-Lenaarts (Brecht)
Church | XV | Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
06 July - 30 August
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu 9.00 - 13.00
Fri -
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
Guided tour
+32 3 660 28 30
(Cultuurcentrum Brecht)
+32 3 313 07 07 (church warden)
Religious offices
Description
Sint-Lenaarts takes pride in its monumental Saint Leonard’s Church, often called the “cathedral of the heathland” for its exceptional beauty and character. Built in 1550 by order of Count Antoine de Lalaing and Elisabeth van Culembourg, it combines brickwork with white sandstone blocks. A chapel had already stood here, serving since the 13th century as a pilgrimage stop on the route to Santiago de Compostela. When Brecht was destroyed during religious unrest in 1584, the church survived and became a refuge for the local population. It later suffered heavy damage in World War II but was restored between 1946 and 1953.
The church contains several remarkable art treasures. Two Renaissance stained-glass windows (ca. 1535), depicting Saint Leonard and the Resurrection, are of great historical value. Numerous 15th- and 16th century saint statues and 17th century Belgian bluestone gravestones also enrich the interior. At the back of the church stands a memorial painting dedicated to fallen soldiers, placed beneath a mural of Saint Michael and the dragon.
A highlight is the beautifully restored 14th 15th century trunk coffin, an extremely rare type of chest of which only seven remain in Flanders. Carved from a single massive oak trunk, it measures 1.93 meters and weighs over 100 kilograms. Sixteen wrought iron belts and six locks protected its contents, which once included bills, records, and alderman registers.
Every Whit Monday, Brecht hosts the centuries old Saint Leonard procession, featuring hundreds of actors portraying scenes from the lives of Jesus of Nazareth, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Leonard. Free brochures about the trunk coffin and the procession are available at the Brecht Tourist Office.
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
More information about the church and the biking- and hiking routes in the region
Photos
Remarkable elements
Retable
The oak altarpiece, created between 1501 and 1550, features three wooden statues rising among artificial flowers: Holy Leonardus, Saint Augustine, and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Its lower section is especially precious, containing eight pipe clay reliefs and an ivory medallion of the Virgin Mary with Jesus. The Lamb of God on the retable dates from the papacy of Martinus V.
16th century stained-glass window
The Leonardus Church holds a rare 1544 stained glass window showing Christ’s resurrection. Below, Adriaan van der Noot and his three sons kneel with Saint Adriaan behind them. Opposite, Josina Daens appears with her daughters and Saint Jacob. Their escutcheons are shown, except for that of Josina’s mother, wife of Jan Daens, who lived in Antwerp around 1450 and whose name and blazon remain unknown.
16th century statues
The church retains four century old oak wood statues from the 16th century namely those of the Holy Barbara, Saint-Antonius, Saint-Augustinus and Saint-Eligius.
Tree trunk case
The tree trunk case, a pretty rare and unique piece of furniture, is 1,93 meters long and weighs more than a 100 kilos. It was made out of one piece of massive native wood. According to a carbon-14 dating the tree trunk case dates back to the 14th-15th century. This massive piece of furniture was the predecessor of the modern steel safe. A free brochure that tells you all about this exceptional case is available at the Tourist Office of Brecht.
Commemorative plaque
Prof. E. Pellens the names of the 12 people from the parish of Brecht who fell during WWI onto a commemorative plaque made to honour these victims. At the top of the plaque a triumphant Saint-Michiel is seen. The fresco was painted by Emiel Stoffels and the design of the plaque was a realization of Marcel Ganten.
