Sint-Maartenskerk, Gothic church in Kortrijk, Belgium
Sint-Maartenskerk is a Gothic church in Kortrijk, Belgium, built in the Brabantine Gothic style with a tall stone tower that stands out over the surrounding rooftops. The tower reaches about 83 meters and is covered in detailed stonework arranged across several levels, giving the structure a strong vertical presence.
The church was built from 1390 on the site of an earlier building destroyed by French soldiers. Work continued until 1466 and gave the structure the form it largely keeps today.
The church holds a triptych painted by Bernard de Rijckere in 1587, depicting Pentecost, the baptism of Jesus, and the creation of Adam. The painting still hangs inside today and gives the interior a character shaped as much by art as by prayer.
The church is generally open daily and the tower can be visited, but booking in advance is required. It is worth checking before you go, as the tower sometimes closes during the nesting season of the peregrine falcons that live there.
A lightning strike in 1862 destroyed the wooden spire that had stood since 1601, along with large parts of the roof. The rebuilding that followed gave the tower its current shape, which means what visitors see today is quite different from what the church looked like for most of its history.
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