St. Rumbold's Cathedral

The Cathedral of Mechelen with the patronage Sint Rombout (St. Rumold ) is the bishop's church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mechelen -Brussels in Mechelen. The 1200 and begun in 1500 completed in its present form church is one of the major works of European Gothic.

History and Architecture

The gothic Sint- Rombouts Church, a replacement for a previous Romanesque building was built as a monumental shrine for the relics of the Holy City, as the City and Market Church to represent the bourgeois self- consciousness as well as a collegiate church for the associated collegiate. She is a three-aisled basilica geostete to cross floor plan.

In the first phase of about 1200-1320 the transept, the main and side aisles of the nave and then the first three bays of the choir were built in the early Gothic style. The consecration was celebrated on April 28, 1312.

After the great fire of 1342, which also damaged the Romboutskirche, the nave was in the High Gothic period from about 1365 to 1451 increased and equipped with a triforium. The choir received its apse and a wreath of seven chapels. The Picard architect Jan van Osy brought this one forms of French Gothic. It was followed by the vaulting of the nave in 1437 and the choir 1451st

In 1451, Pope Nicholas V for visiting the St. Rumbold 's Church from a drain. Thus the stream of pilgrims swelled and construction activity received a new boost.

In the third construction phase from 1452 to 1520 three chapels were added on the north aisle; the largest of which extends over three bays. Above all, received in this time of massive tower its shape. The plan was a total height of 167 m. However, only the base was realized by the 70 m high octagonal tip that is visible above the wrap around balcony. Therefore, the actual height is 97.28 m.

In 1559, with the establishment of the Archdiocese of Mechelen, was St. Rombout Cathedral.

The baroque side portals date from 1626.

The altars, tombs and paintings inside the cathedral are mostly works of the 17th century by important masters as Lucas Faydherbe, Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen, Gaspar de Crayer, Michiel Coxcie and Anthony van Dyck.

Bells

In the tower a mighty peal of six bells, which is among the largest in Belgium depends. Furthermore, there is a large carillon of 49 bells.

Organ

In the cathedral there are two organs: the main organ in the west gallery was built by the organ builder Stevens 1957. On the side gallery is a smaller device that was built back in 1919 by organ builder Stevens. This instrument has 30 stops on two manuals and pedal.

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