Notre-Dame du Bon Secours

Once a modest chapel (mentioned since the 12th century) named after St James and depending of a hospital stood here. In this hospital, built against the first surrounding walls of the city, nearby a gate placed under the Saint's patronage, pilgrims were housed, as they were coming from the North of Europe and going along this way to Compostella.
Past the Middle-Ages, the way to Compostella was less frequented and the oratory felt into decay.

At the beginning of the 17th Century, Jacques Meeus (one of the church's tutors) tried to bring the chapel back to life, introducing the Virgin's cult. She was venerated here as "Marie au Sarment" and soon a miraculous virtue was attributed to her.

The archduchess Isabelle, governor of our Provinces, took this devotion under her protection and registered as first member of the Marial Brotherhood, founded in 1628. From then on, the Virgin has been invoked as Notre Dame du Bon Secours.


Becoming too small for the new cult, the city magistrates authorized its rebuilding in 1664 - the same year, the surrounding walls were brought down.

The actual church follows the plans of Jean Cortvriendt and Pierre-Paul Merckx for the facade. Started with the choir, 2/3 of the construction was achieved in 1669. In 1670 mass was celebrated here. A new plan for the facade was then presented by the engineer P.P. Merckx and approved by the authorities. He supervised the works until he died in 1685, and the church was only completed in 1694, under the direction of Guillaume de Bruyne, supervisor of the works of the city.

Shortly achieved, the church was destroyed partially by the bombing of Marcchal Villeroy in 1695, obeying an order of Louis XIV. From 1696 to 1699 it has been rebuild.

Description

Main façade
Elegant and very well proportioned.
The door is surmounted by the armorial bearings of Charles de Lorraine (governor of the Netherlands from 1741 to 1780). The heraldic field contains the Teutonic Order's cross, of which he was Grand Maitre in 1761.
On the lintel of the portal, a summary of the history of the Church. Under the statue of the Virgin, the attributes of the Compostella pilgrims: the shell, the hat, 2 pilgrim's staffs and a water bottle.

Inside
Original plan by Cortviendt, directly inspired by the Italian baroque churches.
- introduction of a cupola (originally illuminated by a lantern) and of tribunes above the collaterals.
- Plan based upon a circle instead of the traditional Latin cross. Three sides of the hexagon built in the circle are occupied by semicircular apses (of the 17th century temple in Italy). The three other sides are continued by lengthwise parts, which are in fact atrophied naves.
- Rich decoration with at the angles groups of Corinthian pilasters holding a large entablature and angel's heads supporting the arches of the cupola.

Main Altar
Marble and painted wood, executed in 1705 after drawings of Jean-Pierre van Bauerscheit (sculptor born in Antwerp, 1669 - 1728).
- Two medallions held by angels and representing the profile of Joachim and Anne (the virgin's parents) are attributed to the Brussels sculptor G.L. Godecharle (1750- 1835).
The tabernacle and the altar as such were placed there in the middle of the 19th century, replacing the primitive altar (the tabernacle is visibly too large).
- Above the main altar a nice statue of the Vierge du Bon Secours (oak, 14th century). She was originally holding a grape in the right hand.
- Lateral altars (20th century), St Jarnes (right) and St Joseph (left) : they replace those of 1724 of which only the Saint's statues are left (made by J .B. Van der Haeghen).
Four superb confessionals in Louis XIV style made in 1727 (remade following original drawings in 1858). On the medallions, David playing the harp, St Peter, Maria-Magdalena and Marry the Egyptian.

Pulpit
Oak, Louis XV style (mid 18th century), coming from the church of the Carmes Dáchaussáes.

Statue Notre Dame au Rou e : (copy) +/- 1480, coming from the St Gery church destroyed in 1799.
Surmounting the Holy water basins, at the back pillars, 2 marvelous angel heads in white marble, dating of the beginning of the 18th century, they remind of Gabriel Grupello (1644 - 1730).

Very beautiful Christ risen from the dead, in hammered copper, executed by Camille Colruyt.

Although this edifice is sometimes used for baroque concerts (the acoustics being excellent), it welcomes as well a very diversified and often very poor population, for which the clergy and some willingness persons stand in for spiritual, social and . . . material needs.