Sint-Walburgakerk, Gothic church in Oudenaarde, Belgium.
Sint-Walburgakerk is a major church in Oudenaarde dominated by an 88-meter tower rising above the town center and visible from far away. The building combines early Gothic choir design in its upper sections with 15th-century Brabantine Gothic features in its lower portions, reflecting different construction phases.
Construction started in the 12th century using Tournai limestone, but the building was substantially rebuilt in the 15th century when Brabantine Gothic style was introduced. This major renovation transformed it into one of the region's principal houses of worship.
Oudenaarde's first hand-played carillon was installed in 1510, when Jan van Spiere delivered a keyboard in the town hall tower on the city's orders. The current carillon arrived in 1967: 49 bells weighing 15,000 kg, cast by Petit & Fritsen of Aarle-Rixtel in the Netherlands.
The church stands with its rear against the Grote Markt, so the tower and the unfinished junction of old choir and new nave are best seen from the market side. The tower lost its spire to lightning in 1804 and was never rebuilt, leaving the 1620 baroque lantern as the top. The building was restored in 2019.
The walls display two distinct stones: Tournai stone transported via the Scheldt River and Balegem stone, which reacts differently to acid rain. This material combination reveals the history of regional trade routes and building methods.
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