Church of Saint Martin in Beek (Bree) - Discover this open and welcoming religious building

Church | XI-XV | Romanesque, Gothic | Catholic Church

Disabled access Parking space Organ Graveyard

Map

Opening hours

01 January - 31 December
Mon 10.00 - 17.00
Tue 10.00 - 17.00
Wed 10.00 - 17.00
Thu 10.00 - 17.00
Fri 10.00 - 17.00
Sat 10.00 - 17.00
Sun 10.00 - 17.00

Religious offices

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Description

The parish of the village of Beek is very ancient. Presumably the parish came into existence when it split off from the parish of the village of Kessenich around the year 1000. The tower and some wall sections still date from this time period and are seen as very rare remains from the Ottonian style that came into the picture even before the Romanesque style came into being.

The tower, built in heavy fieldstones, was originally a closed fortified tower and was later given an entrance in natural stone, above which Saint Martin of Tours is depicted in relief. The striking herringbone pattern and two embedded heads in the south wall most certainly deserve one’s attention. The nave of the old church was demolished during the 15th century and was replaced by three gothic transepts in marlstone.

In the church, one can based on several decorative elements and works of art travel through time. The calvary, for example, that is dedicated to be by the hand of the Master of Elsloo, dates from the 15th century. Some late Gothic statues represent Saint Lucy and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The late Romanesque Seat of Wisdom probably is the oldest showpiece of the church (around 1300), also interesting to see are the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and the group of Saint Martin statues, several wooden statues, and two confessionals in Rococo style, up to and including the modern Way of the Cross in ceramic.

The altars are in neo-Gothic style and date from the second half of the 19th century. The restored organ with pipes from 1593, was built in 1739 by Laurent Gilam and originally came from Saint Michael’s church of the city of Bree.

The church building is located at junction 7 of the cycle route network of the Belgian province Limburg.

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Wikipedia Sint-Martinuskerk Beek

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Remarkable elements

Romanesque tower

St Martin's Church, built in 1450, has a Romanesque tower dating back to 1007 and is made up of bluestone and colourful carved natural stone. The tower and some parts of the walls date back to this time and are considered rare relics in the Otto style, which was in use before the Romanesque style. It was probably used as a closed fortified tower and was later provided with an entrance, above which St. Martin was placed in relief. A little above the ground floor in the tower are three primitive mask heads (heathen heads), probably dating from Roman times, 2 of which are still recognisable.

Organ

The organ comes from the St Michael's Church in Bree. This organ was built in 1739 by Laurent Gilman, using the pipework from the old organ, made in 1593 by Nicolaas Niehoff. When a new organ was installed in 1782 in Bree, the Gilman organ was sold to the church in Beek. When the organ was rebuilt in 1933, it was moved, causing a lot of damage and a large part of the pipe work was lost. Since 1988 the organ was restored, replacing the missing pipes in a historically responsible way and in 2007 the organ was completed again.

Statue of the Sedes Sapientiae

The oldest statue of this church is Sedes Sapientiae from the 13th century, in late Romanesque style. It is polychrome and has a height of 74 cm. Our Lady is seated on a chair covered in red. Seat of Wisdom - Mary, seated on a throne, holds the child Jesus on her lap and has a rose in her right hand. The crown on her head is decorated with stones, the garment is predominantly gold and decorated with flowers. The cloak is blue, lined with gold. The Child wears a red cloak and lifts 2 fingers from his right hand. On his lap is a dove.

Statue of St. Anne of the Trinity

A polychromed Sint-Anna ten Drieën from the 15th century. There are three possible compositions, a horizontal, triangular and frontal. This church has the horizontal representation. Saint Anna became one of the most famous and beloved saints in the fifteenth century. As the grandmother of Jesus, her special power was thought of as the heavenly intercessor of her grandson. In this performance the two women sit next to each other on a bench as equal figures. Jesus' grandmother holds a closed book on her lap. Mary carries the Jesus child, who holds a bunch of grapes in his right hand, on his lap.

Calvary

A Calvary from the 15th century, attributed to the Master of Elsloo. The representation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary, flanked by Mary and the apostle John. This calvary is of a very special manufacture. Jesus is represented almost life-size (ca. 150 cm). Special details: heavy crown of thorns, half closed eyes, mouth painfully opened, hair is stripes down, pain in the angular face. All over the body is an atmosphere of sorrow.

Sculpture group Saint Martinus

Sculpture group of St. Martin, patron of this church, who shares his cloak with a beggar. The statue is from ca. 1600, in polychromed wood and has a height of 60 cm. Pay particular attention to the carving of this work, including the face of St. Martin and the beggar. St. Martin is seated on a white horse, with a light blue shirt, green skirt, red coat, all lined with gold. The beggar wears a brown shirt and long grey stockings.