St. Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal), Ghent
The buttressed east end of Ghent Cathedral. Photo: Patrick Rioux.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb altarpiece by Jan van Eyck is the main
attraction of St. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. Photo © Mike Reed.
Interactive satellite map of Ghent Cathedral. For a larger view,
see our Belgium Map or Google Earth download.
If you have time to visit just one sight in Ghent, it should be the massive Sint-Baafskathedraal (St. Bavo's Cathedral).
History
The present St. Bavo's Cathedral stands on the site of a wooden church founded in 942 and dedicated to St. John. This first church was replaced in 1038 with a church in Romanesque style, about which little is known. Parts of this second church can be seen in the crypt.
Construction on a new Gothic church began in the 14th century. The new choir was consecrated in 1353, the chapels around the choir were finished by the beginning of the 15th century, the tower was built from 1462 to 1538, and construction on the aisles and the nave started in 1533.
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was baptized in the nearly-completed church in 1500. In 1540 the old St. Bavo Abbey was closed by order of Charles V, so the abbey's canons moved to St. John's Church and renamed it St. Bavo Church. St. Bavo was a 7th century local nobleman who gave away his possessions to the poor and entered the monastery.
In 1561 the diocese of Ghent was founded, changing the status of the church to a cathedral (seat of the bishop of Ghent). During the Iconoclasm of 1566, much of the Gothic decoration was destroyed, but it was later replaced with Renaissance and Baroque art. On June 7, 1569, the new Cathedral of Saint Bavo was consecrated.
What to See
Don't be put off by the cathedral's somewhat unimpressive exterior, which is an uncertain mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture. The cathedral's interior is filled with priceless paintings, sculptures, screens, memorials, and carved tombs.
About midway along the vaulted nave is a remarkable pulpit in white marble entwined with oak, reminiscent of Bernini. The Baroque organ, from 1653, is the largest in the Low Countries.
But St. Bavo's main attraction is the 24-panel altarpiece The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, painted by Jan van Eyck in 1432. Van Eyck's luminous use of oils and naturalistic portrayal of nature and people is significant for art history, representing a giant step away from the rigid style of Gothic religious art. But beyond this, the Mystic Lamb is spellbinding in its own right. The work was commissioned for this very chapel by a wealthy alderman in 1420.
Other art treasures at St. Bavo's include Rubens's recently restored The Conversion of St. Bavo (1624), in the Rubens Chapel on the semicircular ambulatory behind the high altar.
The Romanesque crypt holds a wealth of religious antiquities, vestments, sculptures, and paintings. Look for traces of the 12th-century Church of St. John and the faint frescoes still on some of the arches (tragically, several have disappeared in the wake of "restoration").
Quick Facts
| Names: | Sint-Baafskathedraal; St. Bavo's Cathedral; Ghent Cathedral |
| Type of site: | Cathedral |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Location: | Sint-Baafsplein, Ghent, Belgium |
| Phone: | 09/225-16-26 |
| Hours: | Cathedral: Apr-Oct daily 8:30am-6pm; Nov-March daily 8:30am-5pm; Mystic Lamb Chapel and Crypt: Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; Nov-Mar Mon-Sat 10:30am-4pm, Sun 2-5pm. Closed to tourist visits mornings of Sundays and religious holidays, and during services. |
| Cost: | Cathedral, free; Mystic Lamb chapel and Crypt 2.50€ adults (includes audio guide in English), 1.25€ children 6-12, under 6 free |
More Information
- St. Bavo's Cathedral – City of Ghent
- St. Bavo's Cathedral – TripAdvisor member reviews and articles
- The Saint Bavo Cathedral – Trabel.com
