Sainte-Vierge

Choir panelling

The side walls of the choir are covered with magnificent panelling. Each panelling consists of six oak panels, or panels that appear to be so, in the Regency or Louis XV (18th century) style. The exact origin of these panelling is not known, but they may have been recovered from the furniture of a now defunct abbey, Saint Pierre d'Hasnon Abbey, near Valenciennes.

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Statues

In the middle of the main altar is the statue of Our Lady Ascension, placed in the middle of a false altarpiece, bordered by six Corinthian columns.

The niches on the sides represent the busts of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul of Tarsus. Flanked by two putti's, are the two statues of Saint Roch and Saint Anthony Abbot. The upper part contains an image of the Holy Trinity where the God the Father in all his majesty holds a globe in his left hand and, on his left, the Christ, dressed in a tunic, but with bare upper body.

Massive tower

At the intersection of the transept, there is the massive tower, which of course is part of the most ancient part of the building. Its construction probably dates back to the first half of the XIIIth century. It probably served as a refuge for the inhabitants of the village in order to escape from the itinerant gangs that regularly threatened the villages. Access to the first floor of the tower was through a secret door and was in the choir.

The transepts of the transept consist of later additions to the building, which give the shape of a Latin cross. The crossing is open above a crossbow in red bricks and inspired by the Gothic style.

Organ

L’orgue à tuyaux, situé dans le transept sud, comporte deux claviers de 56 notes, un pédalier de 30 notes et 14 jeux réels.

Il a été fabriqué par Patrick Collon en 1969 pour le compte de la Manufacture d'orgues de Laeken. Il était destiné initialement à la formation des organistes par Jean Defèche, professeur d’orgue à l’Académie de Musique et au Conservatoire Royal de Mons et titulaire des grandes orgues de Sainte-Waudru à Mons pendant 33 ans. C’est en 2011 qu’il a été installé en l’église de la Sainte Vierge à l’initiative de l’abbé José Bouchez, par la Manufacture d’Orgues Thomas de Stavelot.

Fonts

Les fonts baptismaux sont constitués d’une colonne en pierre bleue calcaire terminée par une cuve de forme octogonale, le tout reposant sur un socle sculpté. Réalisés en style gothique hennuyer, ils sont datés du XVe siècle. La cuve des fonts est recouverte d’un couvercle en bois de facture récente.

Tombstone of Mrs Elisabeth de Laire

Under the intersection of the transept is the oldest tombstone of the Soignies entity. This is the tombstone of the Lady Elisabeth of Laire, whose death dates back to 1264. On the stone is engraved a representation at the foot of the lady, placed in the centre of a stylized religious aedicula. She has been discreetly watching over the church for more than seven centuries. Although of small nobility, she is elegantly dressed in an ample dress, surmounted by a rich coat held on her shoulders and holds a prayer book in her hand.