St. John the Baptist

Painting by Bertholet Flémal

The large painting on the altar of the north nave is a masterpiece by Bertholet Flémal (1614-1675), a central figure in 17th century Liège painting. It is called "The Dispute of the Blessed Sacrament". It features a discussion about the Eucharist between four doctors of the church: Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Gregory. The subject of the discussion, namely the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, was at the centre of the controversy with the Calvinists. The painting offers the characteristics of rationalized chiaroscuro, i. e. contrasting lighting whose light source is the host.

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Organ

In 1672, the organ buffet, as well as the "stops," were donated by the former brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament. Thanks to its exceptional quality, the instrument allows both French classicism and German Baroque. The last restoration was carried out by Georges Westenfelder under the direction of Hubert Schoonbroodt. The acoustics of the church being excellent, the organ concerts organised there are very much appreciated.

The pulpit

The pulpit of truth created in 1739 by the sculptor Aimont de Herve is a masterpiece in the style of Louis XIV of Liège. It evokes the school of the Liège sculptor Del Cour. The chair is composed of carved panels decorated with flowers and finely crafted festoons. The one in the middle represents the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. In front of the choir, the sculpture shows Saint Peter with the keys of the kingdom and the cock that reminds him of his fault. The confessionals, benches and oak panelling date back to 1777. This work by a Hervé furnituremaker is imbued with the Louis XIV style: fleurons, shells, well symmetrical palmettes.

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Baptismal fonts

The old baptismal font, placed in the choir, is in the Mosan style. Made of Meuse limestone, they predate the present church: above each head (with the beard and the oriental-influenced crown) which decorates four corners of the octagonal basin, an Arabic numeral is inscribed in a square; the four figures together give the date 1574. The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste has 21 stained glass windows whose symbolism deserves special attention.

The oratory of the Romanesque tower

The fortified Romanesque tower was built at the beginning of the 13th century. Its 3-metre thick walls are equipped with loopholes. The tower and its twisted bell tower are accessible to the public during guided tours. In the oratory on the ground floor of the tower, there is a shrine containing the relics from the chief reliquary of Pope St. Alexander (105-115). These relics are authenticated by a parchment dated 1145 from Abbot Wibald de Stavelot. A painting describes the history of the chief reliquary, a masterpiece of Mosan art, as well as the journey of the relics from Stavelot to Xhendelesse and Herve.

The exterior of the church

The exterior of the church was completely renovated in 2010-2011. The dates of construction of the church are embossed on the metopes above the windows: side aisles: 1625 and 1626; transept and choir: 1653. At the top of the twisted bell tower, the very large fleur-de-lisée cross bears the year 1805. At the crossroads of the transept, you can admire a superb octagonal bell tower that shows a bell dating back to 1518. The walls are built of sandstone rubble, which ensures the homogeneity of materials with the tower, but the base is made of limestone.

Download the plan of the remarkable elements