Our Lady beyond the Dyle

At the end of the steep road the Square you have the church Our Lady beyond the Dyle. She was built in the 14th, 15th and 16th century in Brabantine Gothic in replacement of the oldest parish church of Malines.

The rich interior of the church was partly financed by the trades and the guilds who had earlier their own altar, decorated with masterpieces that represented the prestige of the guild or the trade. The triptych of the fish-hawkers painted by Rubens and the Saint-Antoine triptych of Michiel II Coxie are remainders of these.

Also the pieces that are not relied to the guilds or trades are worth seeing. So we have the tower of sacraments, the baroque high altar with the Last Supper of Jan Erasmus Quellinus, the wall-painting of the 16th century with the gospel of the lost son, the organ and the pulpit.

Despite the art-treasures that were kept until now, the church is only a shade of its former self. Especially in the 20th century the demolitions, during both World Wars, took a heavy toll, resulting in an enormous shrinking of the church patrimony. As first parish church, as second important church in Malines, she could concerning richness compete without doubt with the Church of Saint-Jan, which was built later on.

Because of that lost richness, there come about a feeling of space that surprises you by entering. That game of light, created by the window-frames of the sixties, just reinforces this timeless feeling.

The church Our Lady beyond the Dyle is governed together with the other seven historical churches in Malines by Torens aan de Dijle together with the city Malines.

KIKIRPA : Photo-library online