Cathedral of Our Lady

The Cathedral of Our Lady is one of the most impressive churches in the world. A jewel of Gothic architecture built in 1352 on the site of a pre-existing small Romanesque chapel built in the 9th century is the magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal). The construction of the iconic landmark church took more than 170 years until in 1521 it was inaugurated as the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries.

A protagonist in the incidents of the religious 80 years of war & victim of several lootings and by foreign armies, the church managed to keep 4 masterpieces painted by the city’s most famous painter, Peter Paul Rubens, that can still be found under its soaring vaults.

When you set foot in the heart of the cathedral, you will be met with a unique sight. Here you can see three masterpieces by Rubens.
Perhaps this may not seem special until you realize that two of them are in situ. The Descent from the Cross and The Assumption of the Virgin Mary was painted for the building in which they are still on display today. You will not find this anywhere else in the world.

The 123 meters tower of the Cathedral, the only one out of five planned that was completed, is to this day the tallest building in the city of Antwerp and the tallest church spire in the Low Countries. It is also considered the finest and most representative architectonic creation of Antwerp’s Golden Age.

In 2015 Antwerp’s cathedral was reconnected with its role as an art treasure trove, with modern artists like Jan Fabre and his installation of The Man who Bears the Cross and Javier Perez with his work Corona. More