|
No one could say Anderlecht was beautiful, but it has its attractive nooks and crannies, particularly in the vicinity of Metro St Guidon on line #1B. Come out of the station, turn left and it's a few metres down the slope to place de la Vaillance, a pleasant triangular plaza flanked by little cafes and the whitestone tower and facade of the church of Sts Pierre et Guidon (Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 2.30-6pm; free). The facade, which mostly dates from the fifteenth century, is unusually long and slender, its stonework graced by delicate flourishes and a fine set of gargoyles. Inside, the church has a surprisingly low and poorly lit nave, in a corner of which is a vaulted chapel dedicated to St Guido , otherwise known as St Guy, a local eleventh-century figure. Of peasant origins, Guido entered the priesthood but he invested all of his church's money in an enterprise that went bust. He was sacked and spent the next seven years as a pilgrim, a sackcloth-and-ashes extravaganza that ultimately earned him a sainthood - as the patron saint of peasants and horses. The chapel contains a breezy Miracle of St Guido by Gaspard de Crayer, a local seventeenth-century artist who made a tidy income from religious paintings in the style of Rubens. Elsewhere in the church, several of the walls are decorated with late medieval murals and although these are incomplete and difficult to make out in the prevailing gloom one or two make interesting viewing. On the north wall of the nave, look out for the brutal martyrdom of St Erasmus - who is having his guts ripped out - and opposite, in the Chapelle de Notre Dame de Grace, the recently restored scenes from the life of St Guido. The chancel is of interest too - it was designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck, who was also responsible for the tower of the Hotel de Ville, and it contains two contrasting tombs. The earlier effigy, a recumbent knight wearing his armour, is conservative and formal, whereas the kneeling figure opposite is dressed in lavish, early Renaissance attire, his helmet placed in front of him as decoration.
Your Tip for Anderlecht
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Anderlecht - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Anderlecht - visit the main Anderlecht forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Anderlecht webguide section below! Thanks.
|
