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My guidebook from 1967 says that "the imposing tower (122 metres high) dwarfs all the other spires of the city". Surely this is at variance with what we know of Sint-SalvatorsKathedraal whose spire was raised to assure its dominance when it became the cathedral in 1834. A friend says I should think more deeply on the meaning of the word "spire" but I'm not convinced.
Anyway, let's cut straight to the chase. The reason I visited Our Lady's Church this time round was to see the Michaelangelo that I had missed in 1967/8 and again in 2008. As you can see it's an impressive piece of work.
It is in that part of the church which has been blocked off as a museum and I had to pay €3 and show my passport to get in. In fact I had to come back a second time. The first time there was a funeral on and tourists were not allowed inside. The second time round I had to wait for Sunday mass to finish.
It is an interesting church with many impressive features.
Not least of which is this impressive pulpit. Pulpits seem to have gone out of fashion particularly since Vatican II. But in my day they dominated the congregation from a height and added to the pomp and sometimes sheer terror of the sermon. Sad, in a way to see them now lie idle. I have the impression that the mass, since the onset of the vernacular, has lost much of its mystery and the compensatory revelation of content has only underlined the need for its reform.
Holy WiFi, the Holy Ghost in close contact throughout the sermon. No need for the priest to have one of those bluetooth things in his ear. One wrong word and he's smote.
And the rest of the Holy Trinity keeping an eye on the corporate image, watch your language!
Although it must surely be true that "In God We Trust", at ground level it is as well to be prepared for any emergency - "pray God and pass the powder". Lets hope Jacob doesn't ask for it back before we're finished with it.
This is the tomb of Mary of Burgundy who ruled the low countries from the death of her father in 1477 until her own death in 1482. Clearly a need for a little gilty touching up here.
This, beside Mary's, is the tomb of her father Charles the Bold (d.1477).
Not sure what this is all about but I can never resist the temptation to include a good skeleton, and here's two for the price of one. I think it might be the Holy Souls Sodality or some such.
I have no idea what the guy on the left is saying. I suspect it's in medieval Dutch and Google is no help here. The guy on the right appears to be saying Remember the prisoners, as if you were also in prison. Perhaps a reference to Purgatory and the need to chalk up a few indulgences for those in need of relief.
I don't know what this is, but it is impressive. I really should have bought the book and there would be less of this inappropriate frivolity in a Holy Place.
Benevolent guardian angels keeping the youth on the straight and narrow.
But not all are equal. The Gruuthuse is beside the church and in their day the Lords and Ladies of the Gruuthuse had privileged access to the church. There is/was a private passageway from the house to the church balcony which allowed the family to treat the church almost as a private chapel.
This, I take it, is a tribute to the treasurer who kept the parish finances on an even keel for almost four decades. Today's church could badly do with his likes.
The baptismal font. Not a patch on Sint-SalvatorsKathedraal but impressive nevertheless. No dunking here.
Finally, more thanks for favours granted, this time in more permanent form. Note those likely relating to WWI.
And this is passport control where I only had to show it on the way in and was then free to leave at my own discretion.
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