Saints-Joseph-et-Martin
Rue du Bois de Buis
1457 Sart-Walhain (Walhain)
Church | XIX | Neogothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon 8.00 - 18.00
Tue 8.00 - 18.00
Wed 8.00 - 18.00
Thu 8.00 - 18.00
Fri 8.00 - 18.00
Sat 8.00 - 18.00
Sun 8.00 - 18.00
Guided tour
Description
Its vault, barely broken arches and windows are of a cautious Gothic style. There are three columns on each side of the short nave, whose salient parts were once bordered with vivid paintings. In remarkable contrast with the simplicity of the whole, the three altars are in finely carved oak. Numerous statues bear witness to the importance of the prayer to the saints in the 19th and 20th centuries. Several recent stained glass windows spread colour on floors and walls.
In the garden next to the church stands the old village rectory (1763), newly renovated. Its rear stone windows are typical of the 18th century.
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
Photos
Remarkable elements
Baptismal font
The baptismal font of blue stone, flanked by four grimacing heads symbolizing the rivers of creation, dates back to 1500-1510 and was found buried in the cemetery by gravediggers preparing a tomb...
Main altar
The main altar has an interesting characteristic : its central niche is pivoting. Behind this niche is a cavity which could hold a monstrance (a goldsmith's piece intended to exhibit a consecrated host) so that the servers of mass could make it appear without touching it. This device made it possible to prepare the Eucharistic adoration ceremony in the absence of a priest (the only one authorized to handle the Blessed Sacrament).
Statue of Martin de Tours
On the right hand altar stands the statue of Martin de Tours, the patron saint of the parish, dressed as a bishop. The work, of polychrome carved wood, is full of life. The movement of the saint, one foot forward, slightly bent towards the faithful, is characteristic of the religious art of the very beginning of the 18th century.
Statue of Saint Anthony the Great
Another ancient statue is that of Saint Anthony the Great, a 4th century monk who was the first Christian hermit. Mostly known for his temptations, he is often represented since the 14th century with a pig (by assimilation to the Antonine monks of the Dauphiné whose pigs wore a necklace with a bell?). The modern painting of the work conceals the original polychromy (circa 1850), richer in nuances.
Virgin and Child
The Virgin and Child of the North Altar, with her 19th century doll's face, is a processional statue which has always been dressed in real clothes. She went out every year in procession (among reverent people) through the village, on the feast of the Assumption (August 15).
Bell-turrets
The spire of the bell tower of this charming church is ringed by four bell-turrets (which should be called pyramidions, since they do not really shelter bells). An unusual architectural feature, often reserved for larger churches.
