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Veurne |
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A charming town situated in the province of West Flanders near the French border. His the story began in 877. It was then that it was first mentioned as the property of the Abbey of Saint-Omer. In 890, Veurne was included in the chain of fortifications intended to protect the Flanders coast from Viking raids. Furne, as its French name says, received city rights in the 12th century.
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In the same century the city began to flourish. This was due to Robert II of Flanders, who was returning from a crusade, placing the relics of the Holy Cross in the local church. This made Veurne an important place of worship, to which pilgrims from all over the world came for hundreds of years. In the second half of the 17th century, the area was affected by the wars waged by Louis XIV. His court fortifier Vauban built heavy fortifications around the city. Some of them remain here to this day. During World War I, the city was in the last part of Belgium not occupied by the Germans. King Albert I resided here.
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City HallThis is one of the city's main attractions. Situated in the north-western part of the market square, the building, with its striking combination of Gothic and Renaissance, was built between 1596 and 1612. The loggia, built of blue stone and additionally decorated with gilding, adds charm.
The building's interior houses a museum that focuses not on battlefields or warfare, but on the lives of soldiers, residents, doctors, and nurses in the so-called Belgian sector, the last corner of Belgium not occupied by German troops during World War I.
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City Hall, photo: PM
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The museum tells this story using media and traditional exhibition methods.
Former Palace of Justice, photo. PM
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The town hall is connected, through an archway, to the former Palace of Justice. Nowadays it houses a tourist information office. The building was built in the style of strict classicism. This is evidenced by the symmetrical pillars and long, rectangular windows. Sculptures were placed in the niches above the entrance to the building. Adjacent to the building is a magnificent bell tower, also known as Cecilia's Tower. It symbolizes the administrative merger of the city and the Veurne-Ambacht region, which took place in 1586.
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The late Gothic decorations on the square base and the octagonal superstructure made of yellow brick constitute a clear contrast to the landscape and the early Baroque finial of the bell tower. The building was completed in 1628. In 1999 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Spanish Pavilion, photo. PM
The Spanish Pavilion is a building built in the Gothic style. Formerly the town hall was located here. In the 17th century it served as headquarters for Spanish officers.
The building is not open to the public. It is only opened during exhibitions organised here. |
Bell tower, photo. PM
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Former meat hall, photo. PM
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The former city hall was built in 1615 on an old canal. Originally the facade was four meters high next. In 1861 the building, which was then used as a theatre, was renovated by the architect Croquison. In 1895, city architect Józef Vick rebuilt the façade.
During World War II, the building was seriously damaged. Every summer it hosts temporary exhibitions, which also feature works by artists from Furnes and the surrounding area. However, this building is not open to tourists.
During World War II, the building was seriously damaged. Every summer it hosts temporary exhibitions, which also feature works by artists from Furnes and the surrounding area. However, this building is not open to tourists.
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Church of St. Walburga The temple, hidden behind the former courthouse, in the shadow of a beautiful bell tower, was built entirely of red brick. It was built in the 9th century. In the 10th century, the relics of Saint were placed in the church. Walburga, from then on the church adopted the name of its patron saint.
In the 11th century, Robert II of Flanders, returning from a crusade, gave the church the relics of the Holy Cross in gratitude for saving it from a storm. Since then, the town has become a place of worship. Today it is famous for the annual procession of penitents that takes place here. The new transept and the nave with two bays were built in the neo-Gothic style according to the design of the Ghent architect Van Asshe. The interior of the church houses valuable monuments of sacred art. The most interesting are the magnificent stalls by Otmaer van Ommen (1596), the pulpit (1727) by Hendrik Pulinx Junior of Bruges and the organ (1743) built by Lille Godfried Gobert and Joseph Bosquet.
The stained glass windows in the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary are also an example of the extraordinary craftsmanship of the creators. However, the most important treasure of the church is undoubtedly the relic of the Holy Cross. |
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Church of St. Nicholas The first mention of the temple dates back to 1120. It was then that Bishop Terwaan entrusted the care of the temple to the young abbey of St. Nicholas. Canons from the abbey served in the church until the French Revolution.
Early Gothic the tower was built at the end of the 13th century, its upper part was completed at the beginning of the 14th century. In 1494 the original transept was demolished and replaced by a three-nave building.
The church is built mainly of bricks, but also of sandstone, limestone and Tournai stone.
In the 19th century the tower was restored. The spire was rebuilt and then demolished again. In 1960, both the roof and the vault required renovation again.
The 48-meter-high tower has 49 bells that make up the local carillon. The oldest bell 't Bomtje dates back to 1379 and was made by Willem van Harelbeke. Unfortunately, the tower is closed to visitors.
In the side nave of the church there is a Sodality cross, made of ebony and boxwood. In 1637, Canon Jacob Clou founded the Brotherhood of the Crucified Savior, to which he donated this cross in 1639. This brotherhood has been organizing a penitential procession since 1646. streets of Veurne.
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On the last Sunday of July, thousands of Belgians and tourists come to admire hundreds of penitents taking part in the procession. in period costumes, they present the story from before and after the birth of Christ, up to the crucifixion and resurrection.
The interior of the church does not have many works of art. It is worth paying attention to the richly decorated confessional, the sculpture of the Virgin Mary with a child in her arms (17th century) and the lectern, and especially the beautiful monument at its feet depicting the figure of St. Nicholas.
The interior of the church does not have many works of art. It is worth paying attention to the richly decorated confessional, the sculpture of the Virgin Mary with a child in her arms (17th century) and the lectern, and especially the beautiful monument at its feet depicting the figure of St. Nicholas.
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It is also worth taking a walk in the city park (st. Walburga Park). The ruins of a 12th-century castle have been preserved here, along with a bust of Paul Delvaux, a monument to Georges Grard, and sculptures by Willem Vermandere. A small bakery museum is located 1.5 kilometers from the town. (Bakkerijmuseum). http://www.bakkerijmuseum.be/nl/home/
tourisme.veurne.be
The Château de Beauvoorde, located in the charming village of Wulveringem, about 8.5 kilometres from Veurne, is also a popular tourist destination.
http://www.kasteelbeauvoorde.be/fr |
Charming Veurne, located 6 kilometres from the French border and not much further from the coast, has a population of only about 12,000. The town is sometimes called rural Flanders at its most beautiful.
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Market square in Veurne, photo. PM
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Market square in Veurne, photo. PM
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Market square in Veurne, photo. PM
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