Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels
Brussels Monuments and Historic Buildings: Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
Located in the Place Royale in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, the Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg is an illustrious example of neoclassic architecture. Designed by renowned architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard in the late 18th century, the church is actually a replacement of an old one that was destroyed by Charles Alexander of Lorraine, as part of his extensive vision of an urban renewal project.
The Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg was the official place of worship for the court of the Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands. The church we see today was made to serve as the Church of the Abbey of Saint-Jacques. It also has a complete choir with places for the monks’ stalls.
The church has been used for a variety of different purposes, however, for a while as the city’s Temple of Reason during the French Revolution and as a Temple of Law afterward. In the early 19th century, the Catholic Church took back the building, and resumed its use as a place for religious worship. The neoclassical look of the church had changed; however, as a new bell tower was added to the original structure. For architecture admirers and history enthusiasts, the Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg has much to offer!
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