Church of St. Marcin |
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The construction of the temple began, on the orders of Bishop Eracle, in 962 or 963, and was completed in 971. In 1312 the church was destroyed and then rebuilt. In 1542, the temple was rebuilt in the style we can admire today. Church of St. Martin is, next to the cathedral of St. Paul and the Collegiate Church of St. James, one of the most magnificent churches in Liege. In 1247, the feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated here for the first time.
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The church is over 76 meters long, and 21 meters wide. It is a three-nave church. Its naves are supported by octagonal columns, flanked at an angle by semi-cylindrical columns.
Clerestory (architectural term for a wall with windows projecting above the roof of a side aisle, mainly in Romanesque and Gothic churches. The clerestory provided light inside the building) has a trefoil window division, with a rounded top. The ends of the transept are crowned by magnificent windows in a stately style.
Clerestory (architectural term for a wall with windows projecting above the roof of a side aisle, mainly in Romanesque and Gothic churches. The clerestory provided light inside the building) has a trefoil window division, with a rounded top. The ends of the transept are crowned by magnificent windows in a stately style.
Church of St. Marcina has only one entrance. In the place where the main entrance was supposed to be, a square tower was built, with a pyramidal roof, surrounded by a balustrade. Once a year, in August, you can go to the roof of the tower and admire the beautiful panorama of Liège.
Inside there is a Calvary dating back to the early 16th century, the mausoleum of Bishop Eracle, a 16th-century polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, the chapel of St. Sacrament, decorated with a medallion created by the artist Del Cour (1704), exquisite stained glass windows (1526-1527) depicting the feast of Corpus Christi. In the crypt there is a tomb of black marble from Theux, the superior of St. Martin, Konrad de Grave (1602).
On the night of August 3-4, 1312, patricians (privileged, upper social class) attacked priests and guild members gathered in the church of St. Martin during the election of a new bishop. The conflict escalated. Eventually the guild members called for reinforcements. The patricians, along with city officials, hid inside the church, which was set on fire. About 200 patricians and 10 of the 14 officials died in the fire and from wounds inflicted by the attackers. This dramatic episode in the history of the church was called Mal Saint-Martin.
Feast of Corpus Christi
The immediate reason for the establishment of the feast were the revelations of Blessed Juliana of Cornillon, who had a vision of a shining disc with a dark spot, which was interpreted as a sign of the lack of a special day dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament in the liturgical calendar. Under the influence of these revelations, Bishop of Liege, Robert of Thourotte established such a holiday in 1246 in Liege. In 1294, Pope Urban IV introduced it as the festum Corporis Christi throughout the church.
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Address:
Rue du Mont St Martin 64, 4000 Liège |
Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sunday: 2:00 PM - 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM |
Fare:
Free admission |
Walking up the street, about a hundred meters from the church, we will come across one of the most charming corners in Liege. This is a place that often appears on postcards and tourist brochures.
