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Beguinages |
There are three beguinages in Ghent: the old Beguinage of St. Elizabeth, known as the Holy Corner, the great Beguinage in the suburbs of Ghent, Sint-Amandsberg, whose patron is Saint Elizabeth too, and the beguinage Blessed Virgin of Ter Hoyen in Lange Violettenstraat (called the Little Beguinage). Beguinage St. Elizabeth is named after Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as Saint Elizabeth from Thuringia.
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Klein Begijnhof Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Hoyen (small beguinage)
Jest jednym z najlepiej zachowanych beginaży. Powstał w 1235 roku. W ciągu 700 lat przetrwał wiele zagrożeń. W 1566 roku ze strony ikonoklastów, następnie rządy kalwinistów w Gandawie oraz Rewolucję Francuską. XVII wiek to okres niesamowitego rozkwitu beginażu. Niestety w wieku XVIII, z powodu braku funduszy sytuacja beginażu zaczęła się stopniowo pogarszać. W roku 1862 beginaż ten zakupił niemiecki książę Arenberg. Po I Wojnie Światowej został on zmuszony, jako Niemiec do sprzedaży beginażu. W 1924 roku prawa do beginażu przechodzą w prywatne ręce.
After World War II, there is a slow destruction Beguinage. Only when it was entered on the list of monuments in 1963 by the king's decree that this process was stopped. Since 1990, work has been underway to restore Beguinage its former glory. It must be admitted that it is going in the right direction, because Beguinage makes a really big impression. 5 December 1998 Beguinage was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In September 2004 the last beguine, Hermina Hoogewijs, was moved to the monastery in Wetteren due to her health condition. With her passing, life in Beguinage expired. Nowadays, the houses are rented or leased to the residents of Ghent.
The daily life of beguines
W beginażu znajduje się 90 domów, kościół, kaplica, ambulatorium, dom przełożonej beginek i siedem konwentów. Cały beginaż otoczony jest murem z cegły i ma wspólną bramę wjazdową. Znajdują się tutaj również mury wewnętrzne, które odgradzają domy od alejek. Za tymi murami mieszczą się urocze malutkie ogrody. Zamożne beginki mogły mieszkać w domach, które po ich śmierci przechodziły na własność beginażu. Czasami były one wspomagane przez pokojówkę.
W siedmiu konwentach położonych wokół dziedzińca mieszkały biedniejsze beginki. Większość konwentów zbudowano w XVII wieku, w stylu gotyckim. Miały one wspólną kuchnię, jadalnię oraz pomieszczenia biurowe. Każda beginka posiadała swoją sypialnię. Beginki, aby się utrzymać, wyszywały koronki i naprawiały odzież. W 1793 roku szyły koszule dla armii francuskiej. Niektóre z nich nauczały.
W siedmiu konwentach położonych wokół dziedzińca mieszkały biedniejsze beginki. Większość konwentów zbudowano w XVII wieku, w stylu gotyckim. Miały one wspólną kuchnię, jadalnię oraz pomieszczenia biurowe. Każda beginka posiadała swoją sypialnię. Beginki, aby się utrzymać, wyszywały koronki i naprawiały odzież. W 1793 roku szyły koszule dla armii francuskiej. Niektóre z nich nauczały.
The Cult of Saint Godelieve
In the year 1657 the superior of the beguines Philipotte Dysembaert decided to demolish the old church and build a completely new one, in the Renaissance style. However, in 1660 the work was stopped. It was not until 1710 that, on the orders of the superior Francoise van Hoorebeke, the construction was resumed. This time the church was to be built in the Baroque style.
On the façade, above the main entrance to the church, there is a figure of the Virgin and Child. On the sides, figures of St. Aya and St. Godelieve. At the top, a cartouche with the date 1720 year. Inside, a large polyptych painted by Lucas Horenbault in 1596 year.
On the façade, above the main entrance to the church, there is a figure of the Virgin and Child. On the sides, figures of St. Aya and St. Godelieve. At the top, a cartouche with the date 1720 year. Inside, a large polyptych painted by Lucas Horenbault in 1596 year.
The chapel in the infirmary had been used since the mid-16th century. There was a relic with the blood of St. Godelieve here. In 1659 the parish priest Rahus de Scheemaecker and the superior of the beguines Philipotte Dysembaert gave the impetus to the beginning of the cult of St. Godelieve. The relic with the blood was replaced by the relic of part of a skull. The cult became so strong that the chapel was named after St. Godelieve. Due to the increased influx of believers, in 1725 the chapel was enlarged. It became a popular place of pilgrimage for people with eye and throat ailments. At the end of the 18th century the chapel received its current form. Beguinage inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Address:
Lange Violettestraat 235, 9000 Gent
https://visit.gent.be/nl/zien-doen/klein-begijnhof-olv-ter-hoyen |
Opening hours:
monday-sunday:
6.30-22.00
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Ticket price:
Free entrance
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Old Beguinage of St. Elizabeth
Beguinage was built in 1234 and soon took the name of its patron saint Elizabeth, who was canonized in 1236. Beguinage has its own church, a house for the superior of the beguines, an infirmary (sick room) with its own chapel, 18 convents, a laundry (for the beguines who did laundry for the wealthy inhabitants of Ghent) and a large orchard.
During the French Revolution, Ghent took over Beguinage, as well as other places associated with the church. Beguinage, previously inhabited only by beguines, the city tried to use it as dormitories for cheap workers arriving in the city during the industrial revolution. The conflict between the city administration, dominated by the liberal party, and the beguines grew. Some of them moved to Beguinage Our Lady of Ter Hoyen (known as the little one). Thanks to the financial support provided by Prince Arenberg (also known as Prince von Recklinghausen), a new Beguinage was built in two years (1872-1874) in Sint-Amandoberg near Ghent. On 29 September 1874 about 600 beguines moved there.
Fates beguinageafter the beguines moved out
After the beguines left, the area became a residential area for the Ghent community. There was less investment in infrastructure. This corner began to lose its unique character. However, in the 20th century, the city and private individuals, under pressure from voices demanding the preservation of this unique place, began to invest in the reconstruction of buildings from the former Beguinage. The place began to become popular. Famous artists lived on Van Aken Street 7, such as Constant Permeke, Albert Servaes, and Frist van den Berghe.
In English, this corner is called the Holy Corner. This name comes from the fact that at one time there were four churches in this place: the Roman Catholic St. Elizabeth's, which was originally a church Beguinage, the Church of St. Andrew, the Protestant Rabotkerk and the Anglican Church of St. John.
The first stone house of prayer was built in Beguinage St. Elizabeth's in the Skaldian Gothic style. In the 17th century, two reconstructions took place, which gave the church its current shape. The first in the years 1630-1640, ordered by the superior of the beguines Joanna Bauters, and the second in 1682, started by the decision of the superior Ferdinand De Bock. As a result, a pseudo-hall church was created (a church with many naves, in which the side naves are slightly lower than the main nave).
In English, this corner is called the Holy Corner. This name comes from the fact that at one time there were four churches in this place: the Roman Catholic St. Elizabeth's, which was originally a church Beguinage, the Church of St. Andrew, the Protestant Rabotkerk and the Anglican Church of St. John.
The first stone house of prayer was built in Beguinage St. Elizabeth's in the Skaldian Gothic style. In the 17th century, two reconstructions took place, which gave the church its current shape. The first in the years 1630-1640, ordered by the superior of the beguines Joanna Bauters, and the second in 1682, started by the decision of the superior Ferdinand De Bock. As a result, a pseudo-hall church was created (a church with many naves, in which the side naves are slightly lower than the main nave).
Today's Character Beguinage
Moving to a new one Beguinage, in 1874 the beguines took the church's furnishings with them. However, they left behind the baroque sculptures that decorated the stone columns and the 17th-century 15 mysteries in grisaille (a monochromatic painting technique and images obtained with this technique, giving the illusion of three-dimensionality). One of the side altars contains a 17th-century painting by Charles Remes depicting the Dominican Saint Dominic Guzman. He was responsible for the religious and spiritual life of the beguines in Beguinage St. Elizabeth. In the main altar, or more precisely in its upper part, we can see a reference to the patron saint Beguinage St. Elizabeth of Thuringia. Contemporary Beguinage is lacks walls separating it from the rest of the city. You have to walk around to find your way around. However, after a while, when you pass old streets with many historic beguines' houses, you start to feel its unique atmosphere.
Adres:
Begijnhofdries, 9000 Gent
Begijnhofdries, 9000 Gent
Groot Begijnhof Sint-Elisabeth te Sint-Amandsberg (Great beguinage St. Elizabeth)
29 września 1873 roku położono pierwszy kamień pod budowę kościoła. W rok później odbyła się wielka uroczystość poświęcona przenosinom beginek do nowego beginażu (zwanego wielkim), w miejscowości Sint-Amandsberg. Beginaż ten jest dziełem architekta Arthura Verhaegena. Kościół zaś zaprojektował Jean-Babtiste Bethune. Wystrój beginażu w stylu neogotyckim ma przypominać obraz średniowiecznego miasta. Składa się z trzech placów i ośmiu ulic wokół nich, wzdłuż których zbudowano osiemdziesiąt domów i czternaście konwentów. Osobny duży dom był przeznaczony dla przełożonej beginek. Beginaż ten jest wpisany na Listę Światowego Dziedzictwa UNESCO.
The minimum age to join the congregation was 16 years. A novice was given a superior who introduced her to life Beguinage, teaching her the spirit of prayer, love, humility and mortification. After at least a year, the novice could ask for permission to become a beguine. During the ceremony, in her monastery, she would receive her beguine robes. Only six months later could she be declared a beguine. The superior of the beguines, De Groot, had the final say here. The steedsel gave her the right to live in the congregation as a full-fledged beguine. From 1930 the number of beguines had been systematically decreasing. The last of them, Alice Maenhout, spent some time in a nursing home and died there on 25 August 2003.
Address:
Groot Begijnhof 67
9040 Sint-Amandsberg (Ghent) |
Opening hours:
monday-sunday:
6.30-21.30 |
Ticket price:
Free entrance
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