Sint-Martinus
Grote Markt 21
1500 Halle
Basilica | 1340-1410 | Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon 8.00 - 17.30
Tue 8.00 - 17.30
Wed 8.00 - 17.30
Thu 8.00 - 17.30
Fri 8.00 - 17.30
Sat 8.00 - 17.30
Sun 8.00 - 17.30
Guided tour
Religious offices
Description
Saint Martin basilica, usually called Our Lady basilica, is a centre of devotion for the Virgin and comprises the chapel of Our Lady dating from 1335 and the actual church dating from 1409.The basilica is Gothic and in 1775 it was surmounted by a baroque lantern turret.
The statue of the Virgin of mercy (95cms high) was donated to the town of Halle by Machteld of Brabant in 1267.This notable statue stands above the high altar.The visitors’ book, kept in the crypt, mentions 59 miracles as well as the names of ten thousand members of the brotherhood.
In the Trazegnies Chapel, a magnificent alabaster retable depicts the seven sacraments.
Our Lady Chapel and nine other chapels radiate out from the ambulatory. The baptismal fonts in brass come from Tournai and date from 1446.The finely sculptured tabernacle and the 15th century brass lectern in the form of an eagle with outspread wings shows the richness of the basilica.
It was Pope Pius XII who raised the church to the level of a basilica in 1946.
After her marriage to Prince Phillip, Princess Mathilde offered her wedding bouquet to the Virgin of Halle.
More information : www.visithalle.be/basiliek
Photos
Media
Remarkable elements
Statue of Our Lady of Halle
Sofia Van Thüringen donated this statue to the church in 1267. It is part of Sofia’s heritage from her mother’s side, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The event is depicted on the glass windows of Our Lady’s chapel. The statue represents Mary breastfeeding the baby Jesus, which highlights the intimate bond between mother and child. It is an early-Christian theme often used in early Byzantine art. When the city was under siege in 1489 and 1580, it was said that Mary stood on the ramparts and caught the cannon balls in her lap. Ever since then her face is black because of the gunpowder fumes, or so legend says. In reality the statue’s head and hands were silver-plated. Oxidization of the silver probably explains its black colour.Chapel of Our Lady
The miraculous image of Our Lady of Halle stood in this chapel until 1866, but it now stands on the main altar. The bust in the northern wall of the chapel represents Justus Lipsius, the first historian of Halle. Across the room opposite the bust we can see the tomb of Joachim ( 1460), son of Louis XI and Crown prince of France. The glass windows depict The History of Our Lady of Halle and The Idolization of the Miraculous Image.
The high choir
Against the pillars above the pentagonal high choir we can see 12 apostles with their attributes under canopies. They lead the service, as it were. Their position against the pillars also has a symbolic meaning: those pillars are the columns on which Jesus built his Church. The statues date back to the 14th century. Three statues stand out from the others because of their compact stature and robust facial features.
Chapel of Trazegnies
This chapel was built in 1467 by the Lord of Trazegnies. The alabaster altarpiece in Renaissance style dates back to 1533 and used to stand on the main altar. It was made by a sculptor in the service of Charles V. The seven medallions, spread over two storeys, depict the seven sacraments. Above the medallions we can see the Church Fathers and the Evangelists. In the middle stands the Equestrian of Saint Martin.
Procession of the choir
Around the high choir we can see nine choir chapels. They show a few particular features (starting from the left side of the choir): Third chapel: the glass window shows scenes from the life of Mary and the Holy Family. One of the abutments has a little sacrament house. The year 1409 is engraved in the copper doors. On the front we can see depictions of The Washing of the Feet and The Last Supper. Fourth chapel: shows the back of the sacrament house, which images of Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem and Agony in the Olive Yard. Fifth chapel: the glass window, made by A. Verhaegen and donated to the church by Queen Mary Henriette, the second queen of Belgium. The images represent The Birth of Christ, The Adoration of the Three Kings and Flight into Egypt.Choir
The main altar (1910) was made for the occasion of the 500th birthday of the consecration. The tabernacle and the low altarpiece are richly decorated with silver medallions with Eucharistic designs. In 1946 the Pope raised the Saint Martin’s church to basilica (Basilica Minor). On both sides of the altar we can see the identification marks: the ‘Conopeum’, a red and yellow parasol with fringes, and the ‘Tintinabulum’, the basilica bell. The oaken choir stalls and both sides of the altar are of a Neo-Gothic style. Make sure to have a look at the beautiful sides and the seats with sculptured figures on the bottom.
Pulpit
The baroque pulpit from the 17th century has a theme: ‘Faith’. On the bottom we can see a woman holding a cross who symbolizes the Faith. With the cross and with the help of two angels she is trying to destroy sins and impiety, represented by vermin. The pulpit is decorated with representations of the evangelists and the pigeon below the sounding board is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. On top of the pulpit we can see a statue of the Good Shepherd with a sheep on his shoulders.
