Vault of the Madeleine of Brussels

The Vault of the Madeleine (in Dutch: Magdalenakapel ), which is in the center of Brussels near the Grand-Place, made in the beginning left the convent Saccites Brothers installed at the 13th century. The order removed at the end of the century, the convent become property of the Collegial of the saints Michel and Gudule is transformed into hospital.

The current vault of which the oldest part, of Gothic style brabançon, date of the 15th century, although certain elements are older, knew during an animated history several assignments and several phases of construction and restoration of various styles and at various times.

At XVe and 16th centuries the vault accommodates the burials of important characters and the furnace bridges of several corporations, tailors, bakers and arms manufacturers. Of 1579 with 1585, during the period Calviniste, it becomes reformed church, they are at that time that the destroyed vestiges of the convent its. With the fall of the transitory republic, it becomes again catholic vault. Partly destroyed by the French bombardment of 1695 it is raised with the expenses of the corporations which rebuild its side wing baroque. Closed under the French occupation in 1798, then into 1804 it is then transformed into school of the Ville of Brussels. It is returned to the worship in 1840. Again expropriée at the beginning of the 20th century, it acquired by the city to North- allow the boring of the railway junction Midday and the construction of the Central station. During this work which is spread out over a half century, the vault is disengaged from the dwellings which are coupled there. All the district which overhangs it is shaven, the vault is the only building on the northern side of the street of the Madeleine to escape the demolition contracters. Very degraded, it is the subject of a new restoration to the expenses of the National office of the junction in 1957 - 1958, the current stained glasses go back to this time. On this occasion, one downwards associates a new vault to him (with the foreground on photography), of which the frontage baroque, survivor of the bombardment of 1695, comes from the vault Holy-Anne which was drawn up with a few tens of meters from there, to the corner of the street of the Mountain and the street of the Monkey, which belonged to the district of entirely destroyed Putterie.

Source

Brussels-city
History of the vault

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