St Bavo's Cathedral, Gothic cathedral in Ghent, Belgium
Sint-Baafskathedraal is a Gothic cathedral located in the center of Ghent, Belgium. The structure blends Romanesque, Gothic, and Brabantine Gothic styles, with a tower reaching 89 meters (292 feet), several side chapels, and a spacious choir behind the main altar.
Construction of the Gothic building began in 1274 on the site of an older chapel dedicated to John the Baptist. The choir, side aisles, and transepts were added in several stages, with work finishing in 1569.
The building takes its name from Saint Bavo, a seventh-century Frankish nobleman who gave up his possessions to live as a hermit near the city. The fifteenth-century altarpiece by Jan and Hubert van Eyck draws visitors from around the world who come to see its detailed painted panels arranged in a chapel off the main nave.
Visitors can enter the building on most days of the year, except January 1st. For the separate altarpiece exhibition, booking tickets online in advance helps avoid waiting in line.
A tactile scale model with braille labels lets visitors who are blind or have low vision feel the layout and shape of the building. The main organ contains more than 6,000 pipes and is played using five manual keyboards.
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