- Address: Place de l'Evêché 1, 7500 Tournai, Belgium
- Phone: +32 69 84 34 69
- Website: cathedrale-tournai.be
- Opening: 1338
- Start of construction: 1146.
- Architectural styles: Romanesque architecture, Baroque architecture in France, Gothic architecture
- Cost of visit: free of charge
One of the largest cathedrals in Europe, which has a rich history and has survived to our time in excellent condition, Notre Dame in Turna is a treasure of Belgium , its pride and heritage. This monument of architecture is included in the list of specially protected cultural sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History of creation
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in the Belgian Tour is more than 800 years old. We built it in parts, and the construction dragged on for centuries.
The history of the monument begins in 1110, then, in exchange for the destroyed bishop's palace and church complex, they decided to build the cathedral of the Mother of God. By the end of the 12th century, the main building was built, a tower, a choir and side naves were erected. All these buildings were made in the Romanesque style, but after several decades, in the XIII century began to use the Gothic style, and some of the former buildings were destroyed and began to build new ones. Works on the restructuring of the building were slow, sometimes with large interruptions, and completely the architectural monument was ready only at the end of the XVI century.
What is interesting about the cathedral?
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Turn is the seat of the Catholic Bishopric and since 2000 it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building of the cathedral impresses with its extraordinary beauty, grandeur and thoughtfulness of details. The architectural appearance of the monument includes features of Romanesque and Gothic styles.
In the external design of Notre Dame in Turna, we will select a Gothic portico on the western facade. The lower part of the facade is decorated with sculptures made at different times (XIV, XVI and XVII centuries), where you can see the saints of God or the scene of Old Testament history. A little higher, pay attention to the rose window, the triangular pediment and the two round side towers.
The cathedral has 5 towers, one of which is central, and the other 4 are bell towers and are located at the corners. The central tower has a square shape and is topped by an octagonal pyramidal roof. The height of all the towers is approximately the same and reaches 83 meters, while the height of the building is 58 meters and the width is 36 meters. Its length is 134 meters, which is similar to the length of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
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Amazing interior decoration of one of the most beautiful cathedrals of Belgium . Four-story nave and transept were built in the 12th century according to all the rules of the Romanesque architectural style. Attracts the attention of tourists a variety of capitals with images of the gods of Ancient Egypt, the Frankish Queen with a sword in his hands and human heads in caps. Some of the capitals still have remains of gilding and multi-colored paintings.
A distinctive feature of this monument of architecture is the Gothic three-level choir, which is separated from the rest by the pulpit in the Romanesque style. The pulpit itself is decorated with twelve bas-reliefs depicting the scenes of the Passion of Christ and the Old Testament stories.
The treasury of the cathedral is amazing with its luxury and splendor. There are masterpieces of painting, arches and crayfish dating back to the 13th century, in which relics are kept. For example, in one of the chapels the cancer of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established, according to local legends saved the city from the plague in the 11th century. In the chapel of St. Luke, Rubens' painting "Purgatory" and the Crucifix of the 16th century draw close attention. Among the other canvases in the cathedral you can see the works of Dutch and Flemish painting masters.
To the tourist on a note
Notre Dame in Turn is easily accessible on foot from the city's railway station, located just over 1 km away. The road will take you only 15 minutes. Trains in Tournai come from many Belgian cities , for example, the route from Brussels will be less than an hour away. Also on the train you can get from French Lille and Paris. In addition, remember that on the internal routes, Tourne can be referred to as Doornijk.
Also you can use the plane, bus service, take a taxi or rent a car . Please note that the nearest airports are in Lille or Brussels, the journey time from Brussels takes about 2 hours by bus, and the necessary motorway route is called N7. If you get to the cathedral by car, look at the coordinates for the GPS-navigator indicated at the beginning of the article, and you will easily find the majestic Notre-Dame in Turn.
Opening hours: April-October - on weekdays the cathedral is open at 9: 00-18: 00, treasury at 10: 00-18: 00. On weekends and holidays the cathedral is open at 9: 00-18: 00, break at 12: 00-13: 00; entrance to the treasure from 13:00 to 18:00. November-March - on weekdays the cathedral runs from 9:00 to 17:00, treasury from 10:00 to 17:00. On weekends and on holidays, the cathedral hosts guests from 9:00 to 17:00 with a break from 12:00 to 13:00; entrance to the treasure from 13:00 to 17:00.
Ticket price: visiting the cathedral is free of charge for all categories of citizens at specified hours of work. The ticket is purchased only in the treasury. Admission costs for adults - 2.5 €, for group visits - 2 €, children under 12 years - free of charge.
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