Saint Michael
Biest 1
2960 Brecht
Church | XV | Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 June - 31 July
Mon -
Tue 13.00 - 17.00
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
Tuesday and Saturday, after telephone call (tel. number in the portal).
Guided tour
+32 3 660 28 30
Religious offices
Description
The original church, dating to the 13th–14th century, was demolished and replaced in the 15th century. Records show the tower was begun in 1422, the nave added between 1436 and 1440, and work on the chancel started in 1486. Fire, war and later renovations left many traces. At the end of the 16th century the building suffered heavily, and the Second World War caused even greater destruction: the 15th century tower was lost and part of the nave collapsed. Restoration followed in 1948–1949.
The imposing cruciform basilica was built in the local Kempen Gothic style. The chancel and its surroundings stand clearly elevated. Inside, the church features a wooden round arch vault and stucco painted walls.
The altarpiece, showing the Passion of Christ, is a copy of the one in Hulsthout. The side panels honour St. George. Several statues, including that of Saint Michael (1764), date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The oak pulpit was made around 1780, and the confessionals are neo Gothic. Tombstones from the 17th to 19th centuries are also noteworthy.
The Latin College, founded in 1515, placed Brecht on the cultural map and became a centre of Humanism. Renowned humanists Gabriel Mudaeus and Leonardus Lessius studied there. A statue of Mudaeus stands near the neo Gothic village hall, while a modern sculpture of Lessius was placed near the church.
This cultural flourishing was short lived. During the Reformation wars (1575–1584), Spanish troops almost completely destroyed the village. Brecht remained uninhabited for years and recovered only slowly in the 18th and 19th centuries.
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
Information about the church and routes nearby (NL)
Photos
Remarkable elements
Painting “De Lansstoot”
This painting, know as ‘The stab of the lance’, was copied in 1640 by Jacob Nieuwlants after an example from P.P. Rubens.
The pulpit
The pulpit in Louis XVI style dates back to 1789-1790. It was carried out in oakwood by cabinetmaker Cornelis van Roey and sculptor Geeraert De Haen. The three godly virtues are chiseled onto the sound board: faith (a cross), hope (an anchor) and love (a heart).
The holy Cross Altar
The Holy Cross Altar in the right aisle was made by Jan Gerrits and holds a Gothic retable. Its side panels, painted in 1490 by Goeswijn Van Der Weyden, show scenes from the Saint George legend. They originally belonged to the Saint George altar, likely built by the Saint George guild in the late 15th century. The guild, active since the 14th century, used the crossbow and crowns a new king every three years by shooting at a vertical stake.
Neo-gothic high altar
This altar, from 1893, has a sculptured reredos by Baptist De Boeck and Jan Baptist Van Wint. The side panels were painted in 1899 by Mr. Peellaert and depict the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
Painting “The decapitation of Johannes the Baptist”
This painting that depicts the decapitation of Johannes the Baptist probably dates back to the 17th century and is painted in the Flemish School (School of Quellin).
