Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, Gothic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium.
The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Gothic church built of pale stone and brick, with a tall openwork north tower crowned by tiered spires and clock faces, and a much lower south tower capped with a bulbous onion dome. Its seven-aisled interior has bundled piers running into the vault ribs, a 27.5-metre-high nave, and dark wooden choir stalls with carved pointed spires.
Construction began in the 14th century and stretched across generations as successive architects adapted their designs. The project grew alongside Antwerp's rise as a major trading hub in northern Europe.
The cathedral is a pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Antwerp, and its name recalls the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary that became the city's parish church. The Antwerp Cathedral Choir, with a boys' choir and a girls' cantorij, sings weekly at High Mass, and the carillon is played on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon, with summer evening concerts on Mondays.
The cathedral is easy to reach on foot from the main railway station or downtown area. Visitors should note that parts of the building may have religious services, so it is worth checking local visitor information before planning your visit.
The cathedral holds four Rubens paintings, including The Elevation of the Cross (1609–1610), The Descent from the Cross (1612), The Resurrection of Christ (1612) and The Assumption of Mary (1626). The Elevation was painted for the high altar of the church of St Walburga, not for this cathedral, and was brought here in 1816 after the French returned it from Paris.
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