St Michael's Church

In 1299, the clergy of the Sint-Pieterskerk (St. Peter’s Church) built a chapel at the foot of the Ramberg, in the center of Louvain. After the university of Louvain was established in 1425, the Artes faculty became the owner of the chapel. From the 16th century onwards, there was a worship of Sint-Antonius van Egypte (Saint Anthony of Egypt). Because of his popularity, the chapel was called Sint-Antoniuskapel (Saint Anthony’s Chapel). In 1617, the chapel was constructed in the late Gothic style as it is now. Restorations took place in the 18th century. In 1797, the French administration closed the chapel and it could be rented by religious groups from 1847 to 1853. In 1860, the chapel was sold and bought by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. They renovated the chapel and opened it in 1861. In 1936, the remains of the most famous Belgian missionary and saint, Jozef De Veuster, were transferred from Molokai (Hawaii) and placed in the crypt of the chapel. In 1960-1961, the chapel was rebuilt by the Congregation.

In the center of Louvain, you can find the Sint-Pieterskerk (Saint Peter’s Church). It is the oldest church in the city and was built in 986. In 1176, the church caught fire for the first time. During the 15th century, the demolition of the pervious Romanesque church started and the construction of the current Gothic building began. It took more than a century before everything was completed and only the crypt has remained as an original part of the first church. In the 16th century, three unfinished towers collapsed due to unstable ground. The original plans for the building were changed and the towers remained unfinished. In 1750 an earthquake caused problems, but the most damage ever was done during the two world wars: the roof and a large part of the interior burned down in 1914 and the building was bombed in 1944. A number of thorough restorations has been conducted during the past few centuries.

The Grand Beguinage of Leuven is a well-preserved historical district and one of the largest remaining beguinages in Flanders. This beguinage was established in the early 13th century and the peak in the number of vocations was reached around 1650-1670 when the number of beguines exceeded 360. During the French Revolution, the beguinage was not sold as a national asset, as was the case with the monasteries. The last beguinage died in 1988.