Saint John the Baptist Church, Gothic church in the Great Beguinage of Leuven, Belgium.
This Gothic church features a large western facade with tripartite division, adorned with dark sandstone bands and supported by massive buttresses with an octagonal stair turret topped by a spire.
Construction of Saint John the Baptist Church began in 1305 and spanned over a century, with the eastern sections built in the 14th century and western parts completed between 1421 and 1444.
The church served the beguine community of the Great Beguinage, lay religious women who lived evangelical lives without traditional monastic vows, representing a unique form of medieval female spirituality.
The church is open to visitors from April 1st to September 30th, Tuesday to Friday from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, offering free entrance and a 360-degree virtual tour experience.
Restored 15th-century wall frescoes depict the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, featuring figures of beguines in black habits and beige veils representing various virtues and vices.
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