Sint-Pieter
Groenplaats
3621 Oud-Rekem (Lanaken)
Church | 1704 | Baroque | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
01 April - 30 September
Mon 13.00 - 17.00
Tue 13.00 - 17.00
Wed 13.00 - 17.00
Thu 13.00 - 17.00
Fri 13.00 - 17.00
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
Public holidays : 13.00 - 17.00
Christmas holidays : daily 13.00 - 17.00
Guided tour
Religious offices
Description
Around the Groenplaats in Old-Rekem, proclaimed the ‘Most Beautiful Village of Flanders’, you can find the baroque Museum Church of St. Peter. This church was built as a replacement for the chapel that belonged to the castle of Count Ernest d’Aspremont-Lynden. The construction began in 1704 but was only finished in 1723 because of disputes between the clerical and the secular authorities. The church burned down in 1755 and it took until 1774 before reconstruction started. This new church was in use until 1956 when a bigger church at Kleinveld was built.
In 1969 the church of St. Peter became protected heritage. Since 1970 this church is functioning as a Museum Church in which various cultural activities are held. The decor mainly dates back to the 18th century. It has several striking details such as trompe-l’oeil effects, a stately procession door, a Roman baptistry and a Holy Well. In one of the steps of the altar rails a copper country rod (1787) lies embedded. It measures 4.4791 metres which used to be the gauge for all the farm steads in the former county. In addition this church also has a remarkable scaffolding.
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
Photos
Media
Remarkable elements
Main altar
The main altar dates back to 1723. It was a gift from count ‘t Serclaes de Tilly and countess d’Aspremont-Lynden. Their coat of arms are displayed on the fronton of this baroque altar. The tablet is in fact older than the altar itself. The altar also has a turning tabernacle which is quite remarkable. The angel statues next to the altar were moved from the ‘stiftkerk’ of the former abby in Hocht and they represent ‘Hope’ and ‘Faith’.The painting on the altar was painted in 1775 by Anton Zollinger and was commissioned by count Jan-Gobert d’Aspremont-Lynden. The theme of this painting is ‘Peter heals the lame’. The eighteenth century grisaille painting behind the altar gives the impression of being the apse with stained glas. However this is an optical illusion, a trompe l’oeil effect was used.
Pulpit
The pulpit originally was installed in a castle church before it was moved to Sint-Pieters Rekem. After a fire in 1773 this Renaissance piece of furniture was damaged and afterwards restored based on classical style characteristics.Country rod
Country rod of the county of Reckheim: a ruler from 1780 which measures 16 feet or about 4.5 meters.Statues
The four wooden statues in the choir used to be polychromatic but they have been given a new coat of paint.The first statue represents St. Peter. This seventeenth century baroque statue shows St. Peter as a pope in full uniform with a tiara, a pluvial (raincoat), a three-barred papal cross and a golden key. The second statue represents St. Norbert. He founded the Norbertine order that provided the priests for this church. He is shown as an Archbishop holding a monstrance.
The third statue depicts St. Augustine. The Norbertine order lived by his rules. He is displayed as a Bishop with a flaming heart.
The last statue represents St. Roch who is also known as the saint of the plague. He is shown in a pilgrim’s robe, with a staff and pouch, and is accompanied by a dog and an angel.
