Dendermonde |
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is a Belgian city situated in the province of East Flanders, on the Dender River, a tributary of the Scheldt, which received city rights in 1233. Prosperity developed here thanks to the flourishing cloth industry. This caused conflicts with more powerful neighbors, such as Ghent. Over the centuries, the city was conquered by the Spanish, the French, the allied forces of the Netherlands and England, and the Austrians. The First World War was disastrous for the city, which lost half of its population due to bombing. houses and archives.
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Dendermonde is a charming market square with a town hall and a butcher's hall, the Church of Our Lady with two works by Anton Van Dyck, and a Benedictine monastery famous for its library, which houses the magnificent manuscript of Hildegard of Bingen, known as the Dendermonde Codex. The city also boasts a magnificent Beguinage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which houses a superb museum of the Beguinage and folklore.
1288-foundation of the Beguinage of St. Alexei
1975 - Ernestine de Bruyne, the last beguine of Dendermonde, dies
These two dates mark the beginning and end of the beguines' congregation in this city. They are the bridge that connects the eight centuries of history of this extremely interesting religious congregation, cultivating the Catholic faith, but completely independent of the Catholic Church.
The beguines living here made a living, as in other beguinages, by making lace, teaching, and caring for the sick, among other things. They vowed chastity and obedience, but not poverty. About 200 beguines lived in the Beguinage.
1998 - The Beguinage is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
Nowadays, the Beguinage is inhabited by lay people. There are 61 houses here, surrounding a small church built in the middle. Despite being included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Beguinage has not yet been fully renovated. Dendermonde is a small town and due to lack of funds the renovation is progressing slowly. However, when visiting the city, you cannot miss this place, a wonderful witness to history. An additional attraction is the extraordinary Beguinage Museum located here.
Beguinage Museum
It is located in the house that was inhabited by Ernestine de Bruyne, the last beguine of Dendermonde (no. 25 H. Begga). There is also a folklore museum in the same building. In numerous rooms on three floors you can learn about the daily life of the inhabitants of Dendermonde. Building no. 11 (H. Bonifacius) was decorated like an authentic beguines house. What is amazing is that this interesting museum can be visited for free. It is worth coming here to learn about the history of the beguines and to visit their home, the beguinage.
The beguines living here made a living, as in other beguinages, by making lace, teaching, and caring for the sick, among other things. They vowed chastity and obedience, but not poverty. About 200 beguines lived in the Beguinage.
1998 - The Beguinage is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
Nowadays, the Beguinage is inhabited by lay people. There are 61 houses here, surrounding a small church built in the middle. Despite being included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Beguinage has not yet been fully renovated. Dendermonde is a small town and due to lack of funds the renovation is progressing slowly. However, when visiting the city, you cannot miss this place, a wonderful witness to history. An additional attraction is the extraordinary Beguinage Museum located here.
Beguinage Museum
It is located in the house that was inhabited by Ernestine de Bruyne, the last beguine of Dendermonde (no. 25 H. Begga). There is also a folklore museum in the same building. In numerous rooms on three floors you can learn about the daily life of the inhabitants of Dendermonde. Building no. 11 (H. Bonifacius) was decorated like an authentic beguines house. What is amazing is that this interesting museum can be visited for free. It is worth coming here to learn about the history of the beguines and to visit their home, the beguinage.
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Town Hall |
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in Dendermonde there is a jewel of medieval Flemish architecture. Built in 1337, it was originally intended to serve as a cloth hall, but it was ultimately decided that this beautiful the stone building will become the town hall. In the Middle Ages, there was an arsenal here and a city scale, where all goods sold in the city were weighed. The city council held its meetings on the first floor.
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In 1377, a bell tower was built as a symbol of Dendermonde's power and independence. In September 1914, the bell tower spire, hit by an artillery shell, collapsed and the town hall also burned down. After the war, the destroyed buildings were rebuilt. In 1999, the bell tower was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nowadays, it houses a carillon consisting of 49 bells.
The town hall looks most beautiful in summer, decorated with flowers and eleven heraldic flags. Nowadays, it serves mainly ceremonial functions; on the first floor you can admire a collection of paintings by artists from the Dendermonde school. There is a tourist information office on the ground floor. Since 2018, you can also climb to the top of the bell tower, which offers a beautiful view of the entire city.
The butcher's hall located on the market square is one of the oldest buildings in Dendermonde. It was built in 1460-1462. On the ground floor, butchers sold meat, and on the first floor, the headquarters of the Citizen Guard of the Guild of St. George was set up. Today, the building houses the Vleeshuismuseum, which displays exhibits from the city's oldest history. Archaeological finds, old documents, a collection of weapons, exhibits from the procession with the legendary horse Bayard. The oldest exhibit is a mammoth, 28,000 years old.
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Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
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is a Gothic church dating from the 14th-15th centuries, which houses many wonderful works of art, such as paintings by Antoni van Dyck and Gaspard de Crayer, a magnificent carved pulpit, and a stylish main altar. The greatest treasure in the temple, however, is the magnificent Romanesque baptismal font, made in the 11th century from stone from Tournai. Over the centuries, new elements were added to the temple, and the wooden spire, which burned down in 1940, was never rebuilt.
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerkplein B-9200 Dendermonde |
1/4-30/6 and 1/9-30/9 Saturday, Sunday, holidays: 14.00-16.45 |
1/7-31/8 Tuesday-Sunday: 14.00-16.45 Monday-closed |
Abbey of Saints Peter and Paul
The modern abbey was built in the Flemish Neo-Renaissance style on the site of the old abbey destroyed during World War I. In 1939, the abbey church was raised to the rank of basilica. The abbey library houses a manuscript by Hildegard of Bingen, known as the Dendermonde Codex. The abbey is open to visitors only once a year, on Whitsunday, but anyone can buy the beer and wine produced here at the gate next to the church.
Church of St. Giles, locally known as Sint Gillis Binnen
The remains of the medieval church include a tower and an old choir. The naves were built in the 18th century, and the neo-Baroque façade dates from the 20th century. The interior of the white-painted church houses many sculptures, a beautiful pulpit, and interesting stained glass windows. In the square adjacent to the temple there is a monument commemorating the losses that Dendermonde suffered as a result of the war.
The court building was built between 1923 and 1927 according to the design of the architect Valentin Vaerwijck. It was built on the site of the old citadel of the Lords of Dendermonde. The building is decorated with art deco sculptures. The four sons of Aymon and their steed, Bayard, stand proudly atop a fifty-meter tower. The monument is the work of the sculptor from Ghent, Oskar Sinia (1877-1965).
