OUDENAARDE

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The city is located in the East Flanders region, on the Scheldt River. Often called the pearl of the Flemish Ardennes. From the 15th to the 18th century, especially in the 16th century, it was famous for its tapestry production. Oudenaarde's special treasure is the beautiful town hall, built in the Brabant Gothic style by the Brussels architect Hendrik van Pede in the years 1527-1537.

Church of St. Walburga, Oudenaarde, photo. PM

The city was founded around the 11th century. In 1030, Count Baldwin IV the Bearded of Flanders built a fortress here, which the city was deprived of after the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Over the centuries, the weaving industry developed in the city, which contributed to the expansion and wealth of Oudenaarde. The peak of the benefits of tapestry production occurred in the 16th century. It was then that the beautiful town hall with a bell tower was built and the church of St. Walburga. The iconoclast revolution in 1566 caused much destruction in churches.

In 1522, Emperor Charles V stayed in the city and had an affair with Joanna van der Gheynst, the daughter of a tapestry maker. From this union was born Philip II's half-sister, Margaret of Parma, later Regent of the Netherlands. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was attacked by the French several times, and in 1708 one of the largest battles in the War of the Spanish Succession took place near the city. During World War I, the city suffered much destruction.

Oudenaarde Town Hall with Belfry - UNESCO Heritage

The magnificent town hall is the work of architect Hendrik van Pede. The building was built in the years 1526-1537 on the site of an old 13th-century lay judges' house. The former cloth hall, built in the 14th century, is now a kind of extension to the rear of the town hall, whose harmonious structure dominates the main square of the city. The construction of the town hall was completed in a short time, which contributed significantly to the aesthetic unity of the building, which is one of the finest examples of Brabant Gothic in Belgium.

Above the arcade with its vaulted ceiling is a richly decorated façade with pointed arch windows separated by niches which, although designed to contain statues, stand empty. The whole is topped with a steep roof surrounded by an openwork parapet.

On At the top of the central bell tower with three terraces there is a stone crown that supports a gilded statuette of Hans - a legendary warrior, oldest citizen and defender of Oudenaarde. The crown on the tower and the double-headed eagles above the attic windows pay homage to Oudenaarde's famous visitor, Emperor Charles V, who came to the city a few years before construction began and embarked on an affair that resulted in Margaret of Parma, later Regent of the Netherlands.

Museum, Oudenaarde

Inside the town hall there are magnificently decorated rooms with Gothic fireplaces, wall paintings and works by Flemish masters from the school of Adrien Brouwer, Oudenaarde's most famous painter. The 14th-century cloth hall, attached to the rear façade of the town hall, houses a museum dedicated to the art and history of tapestries, for which Oudenaarde was famous. A rich collection of silverware and antique furniture is also on display here.

Church of St. Walburga, Oudenaarde

Church of St. Walburga

The majestic church tower dominates Ourenaarde. The first mention of the collegiate church dates back to the first half of the 11th century. In 1150 the church was rebuilt after the fire of 1126.

This magnificent collegiate church consists of two churches joined together. The connection runs between the choir and the transept. The choir is almost a hall church in itself. 15th-century plans for the church's construction prove that it was never completed.

The church consists of a 13th-century choir built in the early Gothic style, made of limestone from the Tournai area, and a tower and aisles built of sandstone, which are examples of the 15th-century Brabant Gothic style.

In 1406, an apse was added to the church to honor John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. If the church had been completed according to the 15th-century plan, it would have occupied part of the main square. In 1414, a decision was made to rebuild the church, but the implementation of these ambitious plans ended in 1534 due to financial reasons. In 1620 the mighty Gothic tower was crowned with a Baroque spire, which designed by Simon de Pape. The spire burned down in a fire in 1804.

There are fourteen chapels in the church. Individual chapels are dedicated to saints representing different characteristics. That's why we have a chapel here craftsmen whose patron saint is St. Joseph, the masons' chapel (St. John the Baptist), or the Rope Makers' Chapel (St. Mary Magdalene). For three centuries Oudenaarde was the centre of tapestry production, which is why the most important chapel in the church of St. Walburga, which was then the center of the religious life of tapestry weavers, is the chapel dedicated Saint Barbara, patroness of weavers.

Nothing of the medieval furnishings remains in the collegiate church. Everything was destroyed during the iconoclast fury of 1566. Traces of their activities can be seen immediately after entering the church. There are two small bas-reliefs on the wall that were destroyed during the riots.

All furniture, sculptures and paintings are mostly made in the Baroque and late Baroque style. Church of St. Walburga has a rich collection of sculptures, wooden polychromatic statuettes, historical tapestries and paintings.

Opening hours:

April-October: Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
June-August: daily, except Monday: 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Church of St. Walburga, Oudenaarde

Beguinage

Beguinage , Oudenaarde

Like many Flemish towns, Oudenaarde also has its own beguinage. Hidden behind the walls, an oasis of peace, rich in small gardens, full of various flowers and plants. A place where time has stopped. A charming witness to the history of the beguines' congregation.

Originally, the Beguinage in Oudenaarde was located behind the church of St. Walburga. In 1449, the beguines received a new house at their present location. They have lived here for centuries. The last of them died in 1960.

Initially, the Beguinage was entirely surrounded by the River Scheldt. The only entrance was through a red-painted baroque gate with a statue of St. Roch, patron saint of infectious diseases.

Beguinage in Oudenaarde consists of about thirty whitewashed houses grouped around inner courtyards. Only a few of them date back to the 17th century, the rest were rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the iconoclast revolt in 1566, the 16th-century chapel on the grounds of the Beguinage was destroyed. Today, a neo-Gothic chapel stands in its place.

Beguinage , Oudenaarde

Beguinages were built during the Crusades, when many men did not return from their expeditions. They were a kind of city within a city. They had their own bakery, brewery, nurses' home and church. The beguinage was managed by the so-called Grand Mistress, who organized the daily life of the beguines. Beguines often made a living by making lace or teaching. They had a lot in common with nuns. Like them, they lived in a closed community and took vows of obedience, but not poverty. They dedicated their entire lives to God, without taking monastic vows.

Beguinage , Oudenaarde

Walking along Kastelstraat we reach the Scheldt, the river that divides Oudenaarde. A wonderful view appears before our eyes. Maagdendale Abbey and the Church of Our Lady of Pamela. We cross the Scheldt on a bridge which is an interesting structure raised by hydraulic jacks when barges pass by. Coming down from the bridge, turn right and you will find a beautiful cascading fountain, built in 1852 in tribute to Queen Louise-Marie of Belgium. The fountain is a copy of the famous cascade fountain standing in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Its creator was Charles van der Straeten.

Oudenaarde fountain

Both buildings are located on the site of the former small town of Pamele, which was annexed to Oudenaarde in 1593. The wealthy lords of Pamela spared no resources for the development of the town. It was probably they who financed the construction of the beautiful church dedicated to Our Lady of Pamela. Thanks to the relatively short construction period (1234-1265), the temple as a whole is a wonderful example of Skaldian Gothic style, b being a variety of the regional early Gothic style, a cross between the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

It has all the characteristics of this style. Entirely built of blue limestone from the area of Tournai, it has a tower over the intersection of the transept and the nave, small round side turrets attached to the building's facade and elements characteristic of the Gothic style - pointed arches, windows composed of three smaller ones connected by a single arch. T A bronze plaque hanging outside the church cloister indicates the date of construction of the church, 1234, and the name of its creator, Arnulf of Binche. This was very rarely practiced in ancient times.

Among the most important monuments in the temple are the two tombs of the Pamela barons, the spectacular stained glass windows made in 1930, among others by A. Ladon, and the magnificent main altar made of sandstone, which houses statues of the twelve apostles.

On top of the delicately carved tabernacle stands an impressive ciborium in the form of a spire. Unfortunately, the church is no longer used for regular services. It is open to visitors only from June to August from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The abbey was founded in 1233. It was one of the most important convents in ancient Flanders. The only building preserved from that period is the abbey church, built in the 13th century. The abbey suffered greatly during the bombardments of the city by French troops in 1684 and as a result of the French Revolution (1789). At that time the abbey was sold and until 1960 the buildings functioned as barracks. Today it houses the city archives and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Oudenaarde

Church of Our Lady of Pamela

Oudenaarde

Next to the church of St. Walburga is home to a number of interesting buildings. The first one on the right is called Huis Cambier . In the 16th century, the seat of the Oudenaarde authorities was located here. After the French Revolution, a brewery was established there.
The most interesting building, however, is the one next to it. Built in the 16th century, this building was the home of Margaret of Parma. With a façade entirely constructed of Tournai sandstone, the building is an exceptional example of the civil style of Brabant Gothic. On the left side stands Boudewijn tower. IN The tower, probably built in the 12th century, is the oldest stone building in Oudenaarde. Built entirely of Tournai sandstone, due to its appearance it was formerly mistakenly described as part of the city fortifications.