Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hemelvaartkerk, Parish church in Zottegem, Belgium.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hemelvaartkerk is a parish church in Zottegem with Gothic architecture and a three-nave layout. The interior contains multiple altars, extensive stained glass windows, and artistic details crafted across different periods.
A 12th-century parish church replaced the castle chapel of Egmont Castle; in 1162 its patronage passed to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Martin. In the 14th century the Romanesque building was rebuilt in Gothic style as a single-aisled cruciform church with an octagonal crossing tower. A fire damaged it in 1564, Protestant Geuzen destroyed it in 1580, and repairs followed between 1611 and 1615. In 1750 a west campanile with a carillon was added.
The stained glass windows in the choir display scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and various saints in detailed craftsmanship. These works by artist Jean-Baptiste Bethune shape the interior of the building to this day.
The church is open on days when services are held and has limited access to certain areas. Visitors should check in advance which parts are accessible and what opening hours apply.
The carillon in the west tower dates from 1750, when bell-founder Joris Dumery cast 49 bells. A tower beam records that master carpenter Gillis Speelman of Ghent built the tower that year. The city renewed the instrument in 1961, keeping fourteen old bells and adding 35 cast by Petit & Fritsen in 1963.
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