St. Paul's Church

The church was built in 1571 by a Dominican order as a replacement for a previous small church, which was built in 1276. That church, which was part of a large cloister, was regularly flooded, and the new church had to become larger and had a higher floor. It was named after the Dominican order's patron saint, Paulus.

The St. Paul's Church has an eventful history. In 1679, fire destroyed much of the church and the tower was rebuilt. During the French revolution, the church's many paintings were stolen by the French, but were returned after the revolution in 1815.

The church was damaged again during the Belgian revolution in 1830 and the last disaster struck in 1968, when a fire destroyed the roof of the church and much of the interior. Fortunately much of the interior was saved by passers-by or people living nearby.
Before even firemen were at the site, they had taken many paintings and sculptures outside, risking their own lives. It took almost 20 years to restore the building's roof, but currently the church is back in good shape.

Today the church still houses a very rich collection on 17 century paintings of Flemish masters, but it is best known for the hundreds of sculptures. And unique in the world is the Calvary Mountain adjacent to the church. It comprises 63 statues depicting the last days of Christ. The St. Paul's church also houses one of the most important organs in Flanders.