Saint-Lambert

Free visits or with the help of a visit book available on site.
Depending on the Covid-19 news, guided tours can be envisaged for small groups.
Please contact us for more information:
Pierre Mertens : +32 71 58 89 20
Jacques Moriamé : +32 479 11 12 45 - jmoriame@skynet.be

The church of Saint-Lambert de Barbençon can surprise as much by its dimensions as by its monumental aspect, in the heart of a modest village with barely 900 inhabitants. This is no doubt due to the fact that in the past Barbençon enjoyed a certain prosperity linked to the glass industry, the forges and the exploitation of marble. The village was also the center of a seigneury, erected as a principality by the Archdukes Albert and Isabelle in 1614.

Built undoubtedly on the remains of an older building, the church today offers to the eye a beautiful tower in the Gothic-Hennuyer style created in the 16th century (keystone dated 1589) and rebuilt in 1720. The central nave and aisles date from the 1660's. The beautiful baroque south side altar dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the 18th century, the transept and the choir were built in classical style.

The church has been listed since 1955. It underwent a major restoration between 1967 and 1975, under the direction of the architect Simon Brigode.

A must see, the beautiful door of the Prince de Ligne dated 1666, the baroque altar dedicated to Saint Lambert, the altar dedicated to Our Lady of the Lights to whom the Barbençonnais devote a very special worship, the many votive monuments in marble from the region and the old cemetery surrounding the church.

Both the stones of the latter and the thousand and one small treasures hidden in the church, everything here is a reminder of the traditional beliefs and history of one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia. One of the most beautiful and endearing too!

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