Royal Church of Sainte-Marie

The Royal Church of St. Mary was built from 1845 to 1888 in the Romano-Byzantine style. The architect of the church, Louis van Overstraeten, was inspired in his design by the octagonal basilica of St. Vital in Ravenna (Italy). Deteriorating rapidly after the war, the Royal Church of St. Mary was closed to the public in 1966 because it was considered too dangerous. The church was saved by the "Friends of St. Mary's Church" association, which obtained its classification as a historical monument in 1976. After 14 years of renovation, the church was reopened to the public in 1996.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Istvan Vizi

Church of Gesu

The church of the Gesu was built in the 19th century and is now desacralized. From 1860 to 1865, Louis Pavot built a neo-gothic church for the neighbouring Jesuit community. Between 1937 and 1939, the church was enlarged with a façade on rue Royale, as the neo-gothic church is no longer visible from the street. The new brick façade was designed by the architect Antoine Courtens with a bell tower in a distinctly Art Deco style, while the entrance portal, with a wide arch, a tympanum and statues of the twelve apostles and surmounted by a rose window, retains a soberly traditional style.

Wikimedia Commons/Michel wal

Saint-Servais Church

Saint-Servais church is a neo-gothic church built between 1871 and 1876. The construction was based on the plans of the architect Gustave Hansotte. The old Saint-Servais church, located below, at the level of the monumental vase on the Avenue Louis Bertrand, was only demolished in 1905. This former church, in Gothic style, was the heart of the village of Schaerbeek. The two churches coexisted for some thirty years.

Wikimedia Commons/Grentidez

St. Roch Church

St. Roch Church, consecrated in 1995, replaces an old building from the 19th century. The new church has the peculiarity of having been built in a former industrial shed. In 1862, a church had been built in the northern district of the city of Brussels, but it was heavily damaged during the bombing of the port of Brussels in 1943 and was then demolished in 1971.