Location: Parvis Ste- Gudule, Brusels
Tel. 02- 217 8345
Bus: 29, 60, 63, 65, 66, 71
Trolley: 92, 94
Subway: Centrale
Open: daily
Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule or simply Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudule is a Roman Catholic Church located on the Treurenberg Hill in Brussels, Belgium. It is situated on the border between the Old City and the newer parts of Brussels. The church is a magnificent work of Gothic art dedicated to two Christian saints that are considered to be the patron saints of the Belgian capital. In addition it serves as a mausoleum of the Belgian national hero- Frederic de Merode. Originally Brussels Cathedral had a Romanesque appearance. Upon its construction Brussels Cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Michael. However in 1047 remains of Saint Gudule were transferred here and the temple got another patron saint. In the 13th century Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule was reconstructed in a more Gothic architectural style. It had a length 110 meters with a total height of 64 meters, almost twice the height of Notre Dame in Paris. Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule of Brussels takes particular pride of its large and very beautiful musical organ.
Early Origins (9th–11th centuries): chapel on a strategic hill
The
site originally hosted a small chapel dedicated to Saint Michael, likely
founded as early as the 9th century on the Treurenberg hill, one of the
highest and most strategic points in early Brussels. This location sat
at the intersection of important trade routes linking regions such as
Flanders, Cologne, and northern France, making it both spiritually and
politically significant.
By the 11th century, this chapel was
replaced by a Romanesque church. Around 1047, Count Lambert II of Leuven
and his wife Oda of Verdun established a chapter of 12 canons, turning
the church into an official collegiate institution. At the same time,
they transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from Saint-Géry in the lower
town to this hilltop church, which greatly increased its prestige and
pilgrimage importance.
The church was reconsecrated in 1072,
likely after fire damage, marking the beginning of a long cycle of
reconstruction.
Gothic transformation (13th–16th centuries):
building a grand Brabantine church
In the early 13th century, the
Romanesque structure was replaced by a much larger Brabantine Gothic
collegiate church, reflecting Brussels’ growing political and economic
importance within the Duchy of Brabant.
In 1226, Duke Henry II of
Brabant ordered the construction of a new Gothic building.
The choir
(east end) was built first, between 1226 and 1276.
The nave and
transept were added gradually over the 14th–16th centuries.
Construction took nearly 300 years, with completion around the early
1500s.
This long building process explains why the cathedral
contains a mix of Gothic styles, from early Brabantine Gothic to later
Flamboyant influences.
During this period, the church also gained
monumental architectural features:
Two western towers (partially
completed over time)
Large stained-glass windows
Numerous chapels
added in the 16th and 17th centuries
Turbulent early modern
period (16th–18th centuries)
The church’s religious importance made
it a target during periods of conflict:
In 1579, during the religious
wars in the Low Countries, Protestant Geuzen attacked and looted the
church, scattering the relics of Saint Gudula.
In the late 18th
century, during the French Revolutionary period, it was again plundered
and damaged, losing much of its interior decoration and liturgical
objects.
Despite this destruction, the structure itself survived,
unlike many other medieval churches in Europe.
19th-century
restoration and national symbolism
After Belgium became independent
in 1830, the church increasingly became a symbol of national identity.
Major restoration works began:
Early 1800s: interior
refurbishment, marble flooring installed
1828: neo-Gothic elements
added, including a rood screen
1839–1845: restoration of towers and
portals under architect Tilman-François Suys
During the 19th
century Gothic Revival, the building was “re-medievalized” to reflect
romantic ideas of the Middle Ages.
20th century: survival, war,
and modernization
In the 20th century, the church narrowly escaped
destruction during major urban projects such as the North–South railway
connection, which reshaped central Brussels.
Key developments:
1936: declared a protected historic monument
Mid-1900s: urban
redevelopment created the large forecourt in front of the cathedral
1962: officially elevated from collegiate church to co-cathedral of the
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, alongside Mechelen Cathedral
This change gave it full cathedral status and made it one of Belgium’s
most important religious sites.
Late 20th century restoration
(1980s–1990s)
Between 1981 and 1999, the cathedral underwent a major
scientific restoration campaign:
Structural stabilization
Restoration of stained glass windows
Archaeological excavations
revealing the remains of the Romanesque church beneath the Gothic
structure
Conservation of sculptures, chapels, and medieval
foundations
This work also made underground archaeological areas
accessible to visitors.
The cathedral was built with gobertange stone from the quarries of
Dilbeek. The vault height of the nave is 26.5 meters.
The last
quarter of the 20th century saw the most intensive restoration campaign
of St. Michael's Cathedral. It has been known for some time that the
medieval building had several construction problems (including
inefficient positioning of the flying buttresses). Previous restorations
had never succeeded in solving these construction problems. In some
cases they were even aggravated. During the last restoration, however,
they succeeded in stabilizing the construction for a long time. A whole
host of secondary problems, such as water seepage, were also thoroughly
addressed.
A meridian line has been incorporated into the floor.
The monumental staircase in front of the cathedral, designed by
Pieter Paul Merckx, was placed in the period 1702-1707. It was a gift
from the city of Brussels. Originally, the staircase was built against
the city walls to provide access to the promenade located between the
Lakensepoort and the Schaerbeeksepoort.
Pulpit
Hendrik Frans Verbruggen's naturalistic pulpit was made in 1696-1699 for the St. Michael's Church of the Leuven Jesuits and brought to Brussels in 1776, after an exchange operation in which Empress Maria Theresia intervened personally. It is an overwhelming total work of art, a synthesis of the fall of man and redemption by the church. At the bottom, an archangel expels Adam and Eve from the earthly paradise. Eva shields herself with her arm while she still has the apple in the other hand. Adam anxiously hides the head. From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil a giant serpent creeps and winds itself above the sounding board. There she is crushed by the triumphant Virgin and her Child. Typical for Verbruggen are the two fluttering angels who 'lift' the sounding board. Jan Baptist van der Haeghen added a hedge with animal figures on either side of the stairs.
Church treasure
The chapel of the Sacrament of Miracle is home to an important amount of silverware, embroidery and religious art. Various relics and precious textiles are on display, including robes embroidered in silk and gold thread donated by various kings and also a chalice, gift from Leopold I. Famous is the relic of the true cross, dating from the 14th century. Also special is the marble sculpture group of Our Lady with Child, made by Conrad Meit.
Relics of the Sacrament of Miracle
See Sacrament of Miracle for the main article on this subject.
Hosts are kept as relics in the cathedral that are said to have bled
after being pierced by Jews (1370). The gilded monstrance is set with
diamonds and crystal. In the 17th century, the cult of the Sacrament of
Miracle flourished.
The Sacrament of Miracle is an amalgam of
superstition, ignorance and persecution of the Jews. A Jew steals
consecrated wafers from the church and to prove they are not the body
and blood of Christ, he stabs them with a knife. The wafers begin to
bleed. The Jews are arrested, executed and their property confiscated.
The whole story is depicted on stained glass windows in the church. This
event was commemorated each year with a procession, but the tradition
died out after World War II. In 1977 a bronze plaque was installed in
the church with the following text:
The Jewish community of Brussels
was accused and punished in 1370 for the profanation of the Holy
Sacrament. On Good Friday 1370, stolen wafers are said to have been
pierced with a dagger in the synagogue. Blood would have flowed from the
wafers. In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and after taking
note of the historical research, the diocesan authorities of the Diocese
of Mechelen-Brussels drew attention in 1968 to the tendentious character
of the accusation and the legendary representation of the 'miracle'.
The discoloration of wafers can be caused by a micro-organism,
Microcossus prodigiosus or Serratia marcescens.
Organ
The large Grenzing organ in the nave, whose case hangs like a swallow's nest under the vaults, was inaugurated in October 2000. The organ has 4300 pipes, divided over 63 registers, 4 manuals and 1 pedal. This instrument is the work of the German organ builder Gerhard Grenzing and his Spanish collaborators from Barcelona. The cabinet design is by the English architect Simon Platt.
1047: Foundation of the Saint Gudule Chapter by Lambert II of Louvain
1312: Funeral service of Duke John II of Brabant
1333: Funeral
service of his wife Margaret of York, daughter of the King of England
1435: Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, convokes a chapter of the
Knights of the Golden Fleece
1446: Funeral service of Catherine of
Valois, wife of Charles the Bold
1464: Funeral of the painter Rogier
Van der Weyden
1480: Baptism of Margaret of Austria, daughter of Mary
of Burgundy and Maximilian of Austria
1498: Baptism of Eleanor,
sister of Emperor Charles V and future Queen of France
1516: Charles
of Luxembourg, lord of the Habsburg Netherlands, is proclaimed king of
Spain
1558: funeral ceremony for deceased Charles V (December 29-30)
1568: The bodies of the decapitated Counts Egmont and Horne are laid out
1599: Joyful Entry of Archdukes Albrecht and Isabella, Governors of the
Southern Netherlands
1600: Funeral service of Ernst of Austria
(1553-1595)
1622: Funeral service of Archduke Albrecht
1650:
Interment of Archduchess Isabella, who died in 1633
1745: Funeral
service of Archduchess Marie-Anne, wife of Karel van Lorrainen
1780:
Funeral service of Karel van Lorraine
1793: Desecration of Isabella's
tomb by the sansculottes, French revolutionaries
1803: Te Deum in the
presence of Napoleon Bonaparte and wife
1815: Te Deum to celebrate
the victory of the Battle of Waterloo
1926: Marriage of Prince
Leopold and Princess Astrid of Sweden
1934: Funeral service of King
Albert I of Belgium
1935: Funeral service of Queen Astrid
1959:
Marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Paola
1960: Marriage of King
Baudouin and Queen Fabiola
1965: Funeral service of Queen Elisabeth
of Belgium
1993: Funeral service of King Baudouin I of Belgium
1995: Visit of Pope John Paul II
1999: Marriage of Prince Philippe
and Princess Mathilde
2003: Marriage of Prince Laurent and Princess
Claire
2014: Funeral service of Queen Fabiola
Buried in the cathedral
John II of Brabant (1312)
Margaret of England (c. 1324)
Gillis
Joos (1460)
Roger van der Weyden (1464)
Hendrik de Mol (1470)
Jean Micault (1539)
Sebastian van Noyen (1557)
Ernst of Austria
(1595)
Jean Richardot (1609)
Albert of Austria (1621)
Isabella
of Spain (1633)
Charles of Lorraine (1780)
Felix de Merode (1857)