Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage


The Church of St. John the Baptist at the Béguinage is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Brussels, Belgium. Attributed to the Flemish architect Lucas Faydherbe, the building is a notable illustration of the Italian-influenced Flemish Baroque style of the 17th century. The church was part of the Notre-Dame de la Vigne beguinage of Brussels.

History

The beguines were lay women who lived a communal life but were not bound by perpetual vows. Three court beguinages existed in Brussels but the first and largest court beguinage was the Beguinage de Notre-Dame de la Vigne which was founded before 1247 outside the city walls.
Located near today's Place du Béguinage/Begijnhofplein, the community composed a miniature village of individual dwellings with a mill, laundry, and flower and vegetable garden enclosed within a wall. The beguines built an infirmary and a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Vineyard served as a place of worship.
Because their community had grown to 1200 beguines at the end of the 13th century, a larger Gothic church was built at the same location where the present-day building is located. The women engaged in weaving wool, and from the 16th century onward, in making lace. From the start, Rue du Béguinage/Begijnhofstraat formed the main axis of this large triangular domain of which Rue de Laeken/Lakensestraat formed the base. The area between Rue de Laeken and the Quai au Bois à Brûler/Brandhoutkaai was known as the Beguinage quarter during the Middle Ages.
The Beguines were dispersed in 1797 during the French regime. The grounds were parceled out gradually and streets laid out. The infirmary was renovated and transformed into the Hospice Pacheco.
In 1998, the tragic expulsion of the Nigerian asylum seeker Semira Adamu, who died after police violence, triggered the occupation of the church from October 1998 to January 1999 by political refugee candidates awaiting regularisation.

Building

The previous church was a Gothic building with 3 naves and a transept that was destroyed by calvinists in 1584 during the Calvinist Republic of Brussels which lasted from 1577 to 1585. The beguines decided to rebuild their church in Baroque style and its construction started in 1657. Attributed to the Flemish architect Lucas Faydherbe, this church is a notable illustration of the Italian-influenced Flemish Baroque style of the 17th century. Its facade is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Belgium. The church was restored after it was ravaged by a fire in November 2000.

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