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If you have already visited Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels, the Belgian Big Four, it means it is high time to get off the beaten tourist track and see that history also took place in other places. Finally it was time for Lier, a charming town located about 15 kilometers from Antwerp. It has a small population of around 30,000, yet it boasts numerous monuments, two of which have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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The patron saint of the city is Saint. Gummarus, the missionary who founded it around 760. The Duke of Brabant granted Lier city rights in 1212. Over the centuries, Lier remained in the shadow of its powerful neighbor, Antwerp. In 1496, it was the site of the wedding of Philip the Fair, son of Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg, with Joanna the Mad, who was the heir to the thrones of Castile and Aragon. The couple's son was Charles V of Habsburg, who ruled the Spanish-Austrian Empire. Among the most famous residents in the city's history These include Felix Timmermans, one of the most famous Flemish-speaking writers, the creator of magnificent clocks Louis Zimmer, and, more recently, Jan Ceulemans, a former national football player and bronze medalist at the 1980 European Championships.
MAIN SQUARE
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Since the Middle Ages, this triangular-shaped square has been the heart of the city, which received its city rights in 1212. Over the centuries, the market square served residents as a weekly market, a place for processions, parades, and more important celebrations. The political center of the city was also located here. Lier councillors held their offices in the Town Hall. It was built on the site of the cloth hall, which was moved to a former slaughterhouse in the 15th century. In 1740, the Town Hall was rebuilt in the Brabant Rococo style by Jan Pieter de Bauerscheit the Younger.
The interior of the town hall is particularly impressive, with its magnificent spiral oak staircase, paintings on the ceiling in the council chamber and numerous paintings. and antiques. There is a tourist information office in the building.
The town hall building was added to the bell tower that had existed since 1369. Its creator was Hendrijk Mijs. It became a symbol of Lier's freedom and independence. Since 1971 on the tower there is a small automatic carillon consisting of 23 bells. In 1999, the bell tower was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Vleeshuis is the building to the left of the town hall. Over the centuries it has served various functions. Once it served as the seat of the city guilds, in the 15th century the cloth hall was moved here. At other times it housed a court or prison.
The building was renovated many times, each time in a different style. The current neo-Gothic façade dates from the 1920 reconstruction. Two stone lions once guarded the town hall. Nowadays, the building hosts temporary exhibitions. |
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Located on the right side of the town hall, the chapel of St. Jakuba was damaged several times during World War I. The original chapel was built on this site in 1383. In the 17th century it was used as a parish church for Spanish soldiers stationed in Lier. Hence the name Spanish Chapel . The coats of arms of Spanish governors remind us of this period. The chapel's interior is very modest. It is located on the Way of St. James . Many people on pilgrimage to northern Spain visit Lier. The gate next to the chapel led to the St. James, destroyed in 1948. It lived here twelve elderly people in separate homes.
In 1914, about three-quarters of the buildings on the market square were destroyed. After the war, some of them were rebuilt in their original appearance and some in various modern styles.
In 1914, about three-quarters of the buildings on the market square were destroyed. After the war, some of them were rebuilt in their original appearance and some in various modern styles.
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Beginning It was usually a closed complex of small houses with a small church or chapel and a hospital, near which there was the house of the mother superior, the so-called grand dame . Beguinages were inhabited by widows or unmarried women who led an independent, religiously inspired life.
In 1998, the Beguinage in Lier, along with 12 other beguinages located in Belgium, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its history begins in 1258. This Beguinage consists of 11 alleys, along which 162 houses were built. In the central part there is the church of St. Margaret, which was built in the 17th/18th century.
The entrance gate to the Beguinage, made of blue-grey sandstone, was built in 1690. In the niche, at its top, there is a terracotta figurine made in 1777. It depicts the figure of Saint Bega, the patron saint of beguines. On the left side of the gate there is a fourteenth-century statue Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
In the middle of Kalwaria Hill, added to the Beguinage at the end of the 17th century, in a rectangular garden stands a white Pieta, created in 1844.
The beguines living here made a living, as in other beguinages, among other things by making lace. They vowed chastity and obedience, but not poverty. The last beguine living in the Beguinage in Lier died in 1994.
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CHURCH OF ST. MARGARETTE
Dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch, martyr and patroness of the Beguinage in Lier. Construction of the church began in 1664. Its consecration took place in 1671. Construction of the upper section of the front wall, including the bell tower, continued for the next hundred years. This is a delay in construction time church is visible in architectural styles. Most of the church was built in the Baroque style, while the bell tower bears traces of Rococo. The impressive interior of the church houses many interesting sculptures and paintings. and the monumental organs created by Forceville.
ZIMMER TOREN
Previously known as the Cornelius Tower, it was part of the city's fortifications that had existed since the 14th century. The tower received its modern name in honour of one of the most distinguished inhabitants of Lier, the astronomer and clock maker Ludwig Zimmer (1888-1970).
In 1930, to celebrate the centenary of Belgian independence, Zimmer created the Jubilee Clock , a masterpiece of watchmaking that brought him immortal fame. The clock was placed on a tower that was rebuilt after being damaged during World War I.
In 1930, to celebrate the centenary of Belgian independence, Zimmer created the Jubilee Clock , a masterpiece of watchmaking that brought him immortal fame. The clock was placed on a tower that was rebuilt after being damaged during World War I.
Church of St. Gummarus
It was built in the Brabant Gothic style, on the site of a Roman parish church whose patron was St. John the Baptist. Construction began in 1378 and lasted approximately 200 years. Hence we can notice three different architectural styles here. The lower parts of the church are pure Gothic, the middle is Baroque, and the roof of the tower is Rococo. The church was built on a Latin cross plan. Its tower rises to a height of 83 meters. It replaced the previous Gothic tower, which was destroyed by fire twice, in 1609 and almost a hundred years later. later, in 1702. After its destruction, it was replaced by the octagonal Rococo bell tower that still exists today.
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Also during both World Wars, the church had to be rebuilt after being damaged by shelling. Thanks to its centuries-old history, this church houses large collections of valuable sacred art, including important stained glass windows, sculptures, paintings, vestments and liturgical vessels. In 1496, Philip the Fair and Joanna of Castile were married in this church.
The magnificent white sandstone rood screen was built in the 16th century. Richly carved ornaments represent the individual Stations of the Cross. A small tower with a figure of St. is placed at the top of the rood screen. Gummarusa was added in the 19th century. The magnificent, unique royal stained glass windows are also stunning. They were created in the years 1516-1519. They depict the inaugurations of Maximilian of Austria and Charles V as Dukes of Brabant. The creator of the stained glass windows was Mikołaj Rombauts. In turn, the stained glass window Coronation of the Virgin Mary is the absolute top among late Gothic stained glass windows in Brabant.
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There are a number of paintings in the side chapels. Particularly noteworthy is the Colibrant family triptych (1516). Its creator was Van der Weyden Gossen. It represents the seven joys and seven sorrows of Mary. Also impressive is the magnificent silver reliquary with the relics of St. Gummarus. On the Sunday after October 10, a procession passes through the streets of Lier, during which 16 faithful carry this reliquary, which weighs approximately 800 kilograms. The church also contains silver religious memorabilia made between the 17th and 19th centuries.
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Kardinaal Mercierplein • 2500 Lier
www.sintgummaruskerktelier.be/ |
hours openings:Easter - October 31
Sunday, Monday, holidays: 14.00-17.00 Tuesday-Friday: 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00 Saturday: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM |
fare:Adults: 1.5 Euro
Reduced: 1 Euro Children (0-18 years) and students: free |
off the beaten track
If you have already visited the main attractions of the city, it's high time put down the guidebook and go off the beaten track. Walking through the streets of sleepy Lier can be a truly relaxing experience. There are no crowds, no rush, no big city noise. This charming town, located 15 km from Antwerp, is often overlooked by tourists, and that is a big mistake. Magnificent medieval townhouses, churches and, above all, monuments from the UNESCO World Heritage List make Lier a place you must visit.
A tiny temple next to the church of St. Gummarusa is probably the oldest building in Lier (1225). During World War II it burned down completely. In 1922 it was rebuilt from the ruins. Inside the chapel of St. Peter seems very strict. There are no works of art or decorations here, but there is a silence that leads some to prayer and others to reflection.
De Fortuin, a white building with green shutters located by the canal, was built in the 17th century. Over the hundreds of years it has been used as a granary, a coal warehouse, a lemonade factory, a city warehouse, and today as a restaurant.
The prison gate was built as part of the defensive walls in 1335. Until 1930 there was a prison here, hence its name.
De Fortuin, a white building with green shutters located by the canal, was built in the 17th century. Over the hundreds of years it has been used as a granary, a coal warehouse, a lemonade factory, a city warehouse, and today as a restaurant.
The prison gate was built as part of the defensive walls in 1335. Until 1930 there was a prison here, hence its name.
