St. Mary's Royal Church, Catholic parish church in Schaerbeek, Belgium.
St. Mary's Royal Church is a church building in Schaerbeek with an octagonal shape featuring eight supporting pillars and six chapels arranged around a circular central nave measuring 25 meters across. The structure blends neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, Byzantine, and Roman architectural styles throughout its interior and exterior.
Construction began in 1845 and continued until 1888, with multiple architects leading the project after the original designer Louis van Overstraeten died in 1849. This extended building period allowed different architectural visions to shape the final result.
The church is officially dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, but its "Royal" title comes from popular association with Queen Louise-Marie, the first Queen of the Belgians, who died in Ostend in 1850; a solemn service was held in the temporary chapel on 25 October that year. The square, Place de la Reine, carries the same association.
The building is located at Place de la Reine and can be reached easily from the Botanique metro station on lines 2 and 6. From there, a short walk brings you directly to the entrance.
The dome that crowns the church today is not the original: a fire on 8 September 1985 destroyed the dome and roofs that had just been restored, halting the works until 1992. The church had already been closed in 1965 after stones fell into the street, and the tower crown designed by Gustave Hansotte was demolished in 1963.
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