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Eglise St-Barthelemy

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Re Carroll
Re Carroll
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4 out of 5
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Collegiate Church of Saint Barthélemy

  • October 20, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by baroudeur2004 from Liege, Belgium
Collegiate Church of Saint Barthélemy

The Collegiate Church of Saint Barthélemy is definitely my favourite church in Liege. It has a special place in my heart since I attended the Episcopal College of Saint Barthélemy nearby during my teen years and I visited that church several times with my old school. I was able to witness its various stages of renovation from 1990 to 2006.

The recently renovated Collegiate Church of Saint-Barthélemy is one of the most ancient religious buildings of Liege. It was built outside of the fortified surrounding walls (Hors Château). It is one of the seven Collegiate Churches of Liege (with Saint Pierre, Saint Paul, Saint Jean, Saint Denis, Saint Martin, and Sainte-Croix churches) and the last one consecrated (in 1015).

It was built in coal sandstone, from the late 11th century and was achieved at the end of the 12nd century. Except the neoclassical portal, it has more or less kept its original state even though there were several additions and extensions over the centuries. The church constitutes a precious witness of the Romanesque architecture of rheno-mosan style (twin towers with triangular pediments and losange roofs).

The Collegiate Church of Saint Barthélemy contains one of the universal masterpieces of the medieval gold- and silversmiths’ art, considered one of the Seven Wonders of Belgium: the brass baptismal font dating to the beginning of the 12th century and saved during the French Revolution.

This amazing baptismal font supported by ten beefs (they were previously twelve of them) presents five scenes: Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan River, the Predication of Saint John the Baptist, the Baptism of the Catechumens, the Baptism of the centurion Corneille and the Baptism of philosopher Craton.

In 1990, the inside of the church was really dark and some parts of the aisles and the altar were damaged and the baptismal font was not highlighted. Nowadays, after several years of renovations, the church walls were repainted with their original colours (red and white), and the inside is much more attractive to the bare eyes. It has become in a few years one of the most attractive churches of Belgium and many couples living in Liege wish to marry in it.

To visit the baptismal fonts, it costs 2 euros and the church is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm; Sunday from 2pm to 5pm.

From journal Around the Fortified Walls of Liege

Editor Pick

Eglise St-Barthelemy

  • September 20, 2000
  • Rated 2 of 5 by Re Carroll from Abbotsford, British Columbia
Eglise St-Barthelemy

This church, built in the 12th century, is being renovated inside & out, so it looks pretty messy with scaffolding all over. One of its main attractions is a baptismal font which is one of 'Belgium's Magnificent Seven'- the title given to the country's 7 most important historical treasures. The very large font was cast about the same time that the church was built and is made of copper and brass with sculpted Biblical scenes around the outside. The interior walls of the church are being stripped to uncover the original frescoes and when the work is finished, the church will be very attractive. Unfortunately right now, I wouldn't recommend a special trip to the church unless you are really interested in the font. Admission is 50BF and the money goes toward the restoration.

From journal Liege - The Hot Blooded City

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