OUR LADY OF LAEKEN

THE ORIGIN OF THIS CHURCH DATES BACK TO THE YEAR 800 WHEN A CHAPEL WAS BUILT ON THE SITE BY TWO SISTERS IN MEMORY OF THEIR BROTHER.   THEN IN 1275 A PRIMITIVE CHURCH WAS BUILT, THE CHOIR OF WHICH STILL EXISTS IN THE CEMETERY.  UNFORTUNATELY I COULD NOT SEE IT BECAUSE MUCH OF THE CHURCH GROUNDS WERE BLOCKED OFF BECAUSE OF MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO THE CHURCH.  

JUST DOWN THE STREET IS ST. ANNA CHAPEL.  THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THE ARCHDUKES ALBERT AND ISABELLA ESTABLISHED THEIR SECOND RESIDENCE.  THE FIRST QUEEN OF BELGIUM ASKED TO BE BURIED HERE.  A FEW DAYS AFTER HER DEATH IN 1850, KING LEOPOLD Ist DECIDED TO BUILD A NEW CHURCH WITH A CRYPT MEANT FOR DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.  

THE FIRST STONE WAS LAID IN 1854.  IT WAS DEDICATED IN 1872 ALTHOUGH STILL UNFINISHED.  KING LEOPOLD 2nd DECIDED TO FINISH THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN 1909 IT WAS COMPLETED.   HOWEVER, THERE WERE "SIDE WINGS" THAT WERE NEVER CONSTRUCTED DUE TO WORLD WAR 1.  AND THAT WORK WAS NEVER CONTINUED.  THE CHURCH LOOKS AS IT DID 100 YEARS AGO.  

TYPICAL GREY DAY - LIKE MOST OF MY BELGIAN PHOTOS....EVERYTHING IS A BIT FLAT!!

CONSIDERING THE ORNATE LOOK TO THE EXTERIOR - THE INTERIOR IS SURPRISINGLY LOWKEY

A PRETTY STAINED GLASS WINDOW BEHIND THE ORGAN PIPES

I CAN'T FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF THE ARTWORK IN THE CHURCH.   BUT THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR RENOVATION, INSIDE & OUT.

BEAUTIFUL MODERN STAINED GLASS

I LOVE THE BLUE CEILINGS.   SO DIFFERENT FROM YOUR TYPICAL CATHEDRAL.   ALTHOUGH I'D HATE TO HAVE TO PAINT IT!

BELOW ARE PICTURES OF THE CRYPT IN WHICH THE DECEASED ROYALS OF BELGIUM ARE BURIED.  THIS IS BY FAR THE LARGEST CRYPT I HAVE SEEN IN ALL THE CATHEDRALS THAT I HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR.  AND IT SEEMS THAT THE BELGIANS ARE QUITE PROUD OF THIS CRYPT.  AS SOON AS WE WALKED INTO THE CATHEDRAL DOORS SOMEONE CAME TO US TO LET US KNOW THAT THE CRYPT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND HE SHOWED US WHERE IT WAS.  

BELGIAN ROYALTY DOESN'T DATE TOO FAR BACK RELATIVE TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.  LEOPOLD Ist WAS THE FIRST KING OF THE BELGIANS (1831-1865).  HE, ALONG WITH  HIS SUCCESSORS, ARE ALL INTERRED IN THE ROYAL CRYPT.  THE CURRENT KING OF BELGIUM IS KING ALBERT II. HE IS 78 AND HIS SON, PHILIPPE IS 52;  IN 1999 THEY CHANGED THE SUCCESSION RULES AND NOW (AS THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IN ENGLAND) THE FIRST BORN, NOT THE FIRST SON, WILL INHERIT THE THRONE.  PHILIPPE'S FIRST BORN IS ELIZABETH (SHE IS 12).