nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele , native_name_lang = , image = Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Luc Viatour.jpg , imagesize = 200px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption = St. Michael and St. Gudula's Cathedral , coordinates = , osgraw = , osgridref = , location = /
B-1000 City of Brussels,

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, country =

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status = Co-cathedral
(Cathedral status from 1962) , functional status = Active , heritage designation = Protected , designated date = 05/03/1936 , architect = , architectural type =

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, style = , years built = 11th–15th centuries (church)
1485 (facade and towers) , groundbreaking = (chapel) , completed date = 1519 , construction cost = , closed date = , demolished date = , capacity = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , spire quantity = 2 , spire height = , tower quantity = 2 , tower height = , materials = , bells = , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = , deanery = , archdeaconry = , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = Mechelen–Brussels , metropolis = , diocese = , province = , presbytery = , synod = , circuit = , district = , division = , subdivision = , archbishop =

Jozef De Kesel Jozef De Kesel (born 17 June 1947) is a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 2016 and Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels since 2015. He served as Bishop of Bruges from 2010 to 2015. Early life De Kesel was b ...

(

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

of Belgium) , bishop = , abbot = , prior = , subprior = , vicar = , exarch = , provost-rector = , provost = , viceprovost = , rector = , dean = Claude Castiau , subdean = , archpriest = , precentor = , succentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonpastor = , canonmissioner = , canontreasurer = , prebendary = , priestincharge = , priest = , asstpriest = , honpriest = , curate = , asstcurate = , minister = , assistant = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , chaplain = , archdeacon = , deacon = , deaconness = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , elder = , organist = Xavier Deprez , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = , embedded = The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (french: Cathédrale des Saints Michel et Gudule, nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele), usually shortened to the Cathedral of St. Gudula, nl, Sint-Goedelekathedraal, link=no or St. Gudula, nl, Sint-Goedele, link=no by locals, is a medieval

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

in central

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium. It is dedicated to

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

and

Saint Gudula Saint Gudula was born in the pagus of Brabant (in present-day Belgium). According to her 11th-century biography ( Vita Gudilae), written by a monk of the abbey of Hautmont between 1048 and 1051, she was the daughter of a duke of Lotharingia call ...

, the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

s of the City of Brussels, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture. The Romanesque church's construction began in the 11th century, replacing an earlier

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

, and was largely complete in its current Gothic form by the 16th, though its interior was frequently modified in the following centuries. The building includes late-Gothic and Baroque chapels, whilst its

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

decorative elements, including some of its stained glass windows in the

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, par ...

s, date from restoration work in the 19th century. St. Gudula also stands out for its musical components, notably its two pipe organs and its immense church bells. The complex was designated a

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

in 1936. The church was elevated to cathedral status in 1962 and has since been the co-cathedral of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, together with St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Flemish Brabant.Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
on GCatholic.org As the national church of Belgium and the

of Belgium's official seat, it frequently hosts royal weddings, state funerals and other official ceremonies, such as the ''

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Ch ...

'' on

Belgian National Day Belgian National Day ( nl, Nationale feestdag van België; french: Fête nationale belge; german: Belgischer Nationalfeiertag) is the national holiday of Belgium commemorated annually on 21 July. It is one of the country's ten public holidays a ...

. Since the mid-20th century, following the construction of the North–South connection, St. Gudula is situated on the /, a large forecourt east of the /. This area is served by Brussels Central Station, as well as by Parc/Park metro station on lines 1 and 5 of the

Brussels Metro The Brussels Metro (french: Métro de Bruxelles, nl, Brusselse metro) is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three ''premetro'' lines. The me ...

History

Early history

The cathedral's origins are obscure, but historians agree that, as early as the 9th century, a

dedicated to

probably stood in its place, on what was the most important point of Brussels at the time; the crossroads of two major trade routes—a first one connecting the

County of Flanders The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries. From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Yp ...

and

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

, and another between Antwerp and Mons, then France. These crossroads were located on the ''Treurenberg'' hill (french: Mont des pleurs, link=no; "Mount of sorrows"), where the St. Gudula Gate stood (integrated in the first city walls), and which was later used as an ominously famous prison, hence its name. In the 11th century, this first chapel was replaced by a Romanesque church. In 1047, Count Lambert II of Leuven, and his wife Oda of Verdun, founded a chapter in this church, and organised the transportation to it of the relics of the

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

, which were housed before then in

Saint Gaugericus Saint Gaugericus, in French Saint Géry (also known as Gorik, Gau; in Walloon, Djèri) ( 550 – August 11, 619) was a bishop of Cambrai, France. Biography He was born to Roman parents, Gaudentius and Austadiola, at ''Eposium'' (present Ca ...

' Church on

Saint-Géry Island Saint-Géry Island (french: île Saint-Géry) or Sint-Goriks Island ( Dutch: ) was the largest island in the river Senne in Brussels, Belgium. It was named after Saint Gaugericus, nl, Sint-Goriks, link=no of Cambrai, who according to legend, b ...

(where today's / are located). In 1072, the church was reconsecrated, probably following a fire. At the end of the 12th century, a Romanesque

avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...

was added to the west of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

. In the 13th century, Henry I, Duke of Brabant, ordered two round towers to be added to the church. His son,

Henry II, Duke of Brabant Henry II of Brabant ( nl, Hendrik, french: Henri; 1207 – February 1, 1248) was Duke of Brabant and Lothier after the death of his father Henry I in 1235. His mother was Matilda of Boulogne. Henry II supported his sister Mathilde's son, ...

, instructed the building of a

Brabantine Gothic Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechele ...

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...

in 1226. The

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

was constructed between 1226 and 1276. The nave and

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...

date from the 14th and 16th centuries. The entire church took about 300 years to complete. The main structure was finalised just before Emperor Charles V's reign began in 1519. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the church underwent several modifications, the most remarkable of which was the addition of some chapels; the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle (1534–1539), the Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance (1649–1655) and the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalen (also called the Maes Chapel) (1672–1675). On 6 June 1579, the collegiate church was pillaged and wrecked by

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

'' Geuzen'' ("Beggars"), and Saint Gudula's relics were disinterred and scattered. In the 1790s, it also suffered looting and destruction by

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

aries known as the ''

sans-culottes The (, 'without breeches') were the common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France, a great many of whom became radical and militant partisans of the French Revolution in response to their poor quality of life under the . T ...

'', including the loss of its original carillon. File:Brussel, KBB, ms. 9296, f.17r.jpg, Miniature of

Margaret of York Margaret of York (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503)—also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy—was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Burgundian State after his death. She was a daugh ...

praying in front of the Church of St. Gudula, File:Erycius Puteanus, Bruxella, incomparabili exemplo septenaria, 1646 (Gudila).jpg, St. Gudula's Church, engraving by Erycius Puteanus, 1646 File:Engraving St Gudula Brussels 1711.jpg, St. Gudula's Church, etching by Pieter Devel from ''Les délices des Pays-Bas'', 1711 File:Andreas Martin, De Sint-Michielskerk, 37 x 45 cm (Museum NBB).jpg, St. Gudula's Church, painting by Andreas Martin, before 1762

19th century–present

The church was designated a

on 5 March 1936. In the mid-20th century, it was narrowly spared during the building of the North–South connection, a major railway link through central Brussels. On that occasion, a large forecourt, known as the /, was built in front of it. It was not until 1962, with the creation of the Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, that the collegiate church was promoted to the rank of co-cathedral, when it became the seat of the Archbishop, together with St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Flemish Brabant. The church's current

s, Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, are also those of the City of Brussels. Restoration work was carried out in the 19th century under the direction of the architect

Tilman-François Suys Tilman-François Suys (in French) or Tieleman Frans Suys (in Dutch) (1 July 1783 – 22 July 1864) was a Belgian architect who also worked in the Netherlands. Biography Suys completed his architectural education in Paris, where he studied un ...

who, from 1839 to 1845, restored the towers and portals, and again in the 20th century under the direction of Jean Rombaux, then Victor Gaston Martiny, chief architect-town planner of the

Province of Brabant The Province of Brabant (, , ) was a province in Belgium from 1830 to 1995. It was created in 1815 as South Brabant, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1995, it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speak ...

and member of the Royal Committee for Monuments and Sites. The cathedral was once again thoroughly restored between 1983 and 1999. On that occasion, archaeological excavations were undertaken, which led to the discovery of remains of the Romanesque church and crypt underneath the current choir. File:Doop Louis Philipp.jpg, Baptism of Louis-Philippe of Belgium, son of

King Leopold I * nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik * en, Leopold George Christian Frederick , image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg , caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856 , reign = 21 July 1831 – , predecessor = Erasme Lou ...

, in St. Gudula's Church, 1833 File:Eglise Sainte-Gudule - Façade ouest - Bruxelles - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00011282.jpg, The church in the early 20th century File:Briefkaart Sint Gudulakerk en straat in Brussel.jpg, The street (now demolished) in front of the church, in the 1920s File:Begrafenis van Koningin Elizabeth van België te Brussel het stoffelijk overscho, Bestanddeelnr 918-5094.jpg, Funeral of Queen Elisabeth at the (by then) cathedral, 30 November 1965

Description

Belgian and Dutch Gothic 571 S Gudles - Brussels

Most of the cathedral is in the

style, although some parts are in the newer Baroque style. It is traditionally listed, alongside the Chapel Church and the

Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zavelkerk , native_name_lang = , image = Brussels, église Notre Dame du Sablon oeg2043-00070 foto7 2015-06-07 13.28.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption ...

, as one of the three Gothic churches still standing in central Brussels. The cathedral is built of stone from the Gobertange

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

, which is located in present-day

Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant (french: Brabant wallon ; nl, Waals-Brabant ; wa, Roman Payis) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and ...

, approximately south-east of the cathedral's site. The building adopts the classic plan: a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

with a three-bay long

ending in a five-sided

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

surrounded by an

ambulatory The ambulatory ( la, ambulatorium, ‘walking place’) is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th ...

. It is imposing by its sheer size: long, wide ( at the level of the choir), and high (the entrance towers reach a height of ).

Exterior

Main facade and towers

The main (western) facade with its three portals surmounted by

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

s and two towers are typical of the

French Gothic French Gothic architecture is an architectural style which emerged in France in 1140, and was dominant until the mid-16th century. The most notable examples are the great Gothic cathedrals of France, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims Cathedra ...

style, but without a rose window, as it features instead a large

ogival An ogive ( ) is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. Ogive curves and surfaces are used in engineering, architecture and woodworking. Etymology The earliest use of the word ''ogive'' is found in the 13th c ...

window in the

style. The whole structure is supported by sturdy

flying buttress The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey lateral forces to the ground that are necessary to pu ...

es with double spans, influenced by

Soissons Cathedral Soissons Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais'') is a Gothic basilica church in Soissons, France. It is the seat of the Bishop of Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin. The construction of the south transept was begun about ...

, crowned by pinnacles and

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s. The two towers, built between 1470 and 1485, the upper parts of which are arranged in terraces, are attributed to Jan Van Ruysbroeck, the court architect of Philip the Good, who also designed the tower of Brussels' Town Hall and the Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido in Anderlecht. They appear to be unfinished, lacking the

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

s seen in other Gothic cathedrals, and were originally meant to be much higher, in a style close to the Town Hall's tower or the north tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. They nonetheless remain a prominent feature in the skyline of downtown Brussels. The strong predominance of the vertical lines of this facade is impressive; four robust

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral ( ...

es close and separate the three portals. The two at the ends become more important by integrating two tall buttressed turrets that rise from the base to the top of the towers themselves. Furthermore, the facade is divided horizontally into three levels; a lower one entirely centered on the three portals, a median one opened by the large multi-light window flanked by two high three-light windows, each inscribed in the axis of one of the towers; and an upper one characterised by the large triangular tympanum which, developing from a gallery with fine columns, is topped by several flaming pinnacles, of which the central, more imposing, reaches a height of . File:(Belgium) St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral Tower, Brussels.jpg, The western facade File: Cathedrale saints-michel-et-gudule003.jpg, The central portal File: Cathedrale saints-michel-et-gudule002.jpg, Ogival window and decorative

merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...

File:Bruxelles cathédrale 801.jpg, Statue of

slaying the dragon

Chapels

From the

, on each side of the

, two large late-Gothic

s, added in the 16th century (for the northern Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle), and the 17th century (for the southern Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance), protrude. The large proportion of these chapels gives the impression that the building has three choirs. Behind the

, on the church's central axis, the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalen (also called the Maes Chapel), in Baroque style, was inserted in 1672–1675 between the buttresses, with an octagonal plan with a dome and lantern. File:Cathédrale St. Michel- Brüssel - panoramio.jpg, View of the

and

s File:Bruxelles Co-Cathédrale St. Michel & Ste. Gudule Chor Kapelle.jpg, Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle File:Chapelle Maes 02.JPG, Chapel of St. Mary Magdalen (or Maes Chapel)

Staircase and forecourt

The monumental staircase in front of the cathedral, designed by Pieter Paul Merckx, was placed in the period 1702–1707. This staircase, a gift from the City of Brussels, was originally built against the city walls to provide access to the promenade on the stretch between the Laeken Gate and the Schaerbeek Gate. In the centre of the gardens located in front of the cathedral's forecourt stands a bust of

King Baudouin Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his dea ...

. It is the work of the sculptor . The bust was completed on 6 June 1996, and remained at the city's administrative centre until road works on the / were completed. It was integrated into its current environment in 2003–04, as part of the renovation of this green space. It was vandalised in June 2020, following the George Floyd protests in Belgium. File:ST MICHEL ET GUDULLE.jpg, View of the monumental staircase File:Cathedral in Brussels 01.jpg, Bust of

in front of the cathedral File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Monument Roi Baudouin - 02.jpg, Closeup of King Baudouin's bust

Interior

Nave

The cathedral's

possesses all the characteristics of

; the four-part

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

s are moderately high and the robust cylindrical columns that line the nave's central

are topped with capitals in the shape of cabbage leaves. Statues of the twelve apostles are attached to the columns. These statues date from the 17th century and were created by

Lucas Faydherbe Lucas Faydherbe (also spelled Lucas Faijdherbe; he signed as Lucas Fayd'herbe) (Mechelen, 19 January 1617 – Mechelen, 31 December 1697)Jerôme Duquesnoy the Younger, Johannes van Mildert and Tobias de Lelis, all renowned sculptors of their time. The statues replaced those destroyed by

iconoclast Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...

s in 1566. The nave also contains a Baroque pulpit from the 17th century, made by the Antwerp sculptor Hendrik Frans Verbruggen in 1699. The base represents

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

expelled from the Garden of Eden after plucking the

forbidden fruit Forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden which God commands mankind not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are exiled from Eden. As a ...

. At the top, the Virgin and Child piercing the serpent symbolise redemption.History and architecture overview
on the official site of the Cathedral To the right of the portal of the northern

is an elegant 17th-century sculpture depicting ''The education of the Holy Virgin by Saint Anna'' by Jerôme Duquesnoy the Younger after a painting by Rubens. The side aisles contain 17th-century oak

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but si ...

s formerly attributed to the sculptor Jan van Delen. The cathedral also contains the unmarked burial place of Dermot O'Mallun, the last Irish-born chief of the name of the O'Moloney

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...

Thomond Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...

. File:Brussels - Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Nave.jpg, The

lined with cylindrical columns supporting the twelve statues of the apostles File:Brussels - Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Pulpit.jpg, Baroque pulpit by Hendrik Frans Verbruggen (1699) File:Adam et Eve chaire cathedrale Bruxelles.jpg, ''Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden'', detail of the pulpit File:0723 - Belgientour 2015 - Brüssel (21529843759).jpg,

Confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but si ...

by anonymous (17th century)

Choir and chapels

The cathedral's

is Gothic and has three rectangular bays and a five-sided

. It also contains the mausoleums of the

Dukes of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of Low ...

and Archduke Ernest of Austria made by Robert Colyn de Nole in the 17th century. Its elevation is on three levels; large arcades communicating with the

triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locat ...

and high windows. Left of the choir is the

Flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle (1534–1539). It now houses the Treasure of the Cathedral, where the famous Drahmal Cross (also known as the Brussels Cross), an early 11th-century Anglo-Saxon inscribed

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

- reliquary, is stored. Jean Micault, receiver general of

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

, and his wife, Livine Cats van Welle, were buried there, and an altarpiece, probably commissioned by their son Nicolas, was dedicated to them. It was made by the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

painter and

upholsterer Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...

Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen. This

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

is now in the collections of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Right of the choir is the Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance (1649–1655) which was built in a late Gothic style and contains a Baroque altar by Jan Voorspoel (1666). Behind the choir is a Baroque chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen (also called the Maes Chapel) dated 1672–1675, and a marble and

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...

altarpiece depicting the

Passion of Christ In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...

by the sculptor Jean Mone dated 1538. File:ID2043-0003-0-Brussel, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedelekathedraal-PM 50814.jpg, The

File:ID2043-0003-0-Brussel, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedelekathedraal-PM 50867.jpg, The

of the choir File:Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele Maeskapel 29-01-2019.jpg, Marble and

altarpiece by Jean Mone (1538) File:St Michels (8293235721).jpg, Statue of

Stained glass

The cathedral has stained glass windows from the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries; most of which date from between 1525 and 1663. Particularly noteworthy is the large window in the western facade representing the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

. It was made in 1528 by the Antwerp glassmaker Jan Haeck, based on drawings by Bernard van Orley. Haeck and Van Orley were also responsible for the windows adorning the northern and southern

s. The northern window dates from 1537 and represents

and his wife Isabella of Portugal in adoration for the Holy Sacrament and accompanied by their patron saints

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

and

Elizabeth of Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary (german: Heilige Elisabeth von Thüringen, hu, Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet, sk, Svätá Alžbeta Uhorská; 7 July 1207 – 17 November 1231), also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, or Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia, ...

. The southern window dates from 1538 and represents Charles' brother-in-law,

Louis II of Hungary Louis II ( cs, Ludvík, hr, Ludovik , hu, Lajos, sk, Ľudovít; 1 July 1506 – 29 August 1526) was King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia from 1516 to 1526. He was killed during the Battle of Mohács fighting the Ottomans, whose victory led to t ...

, with his wife

Mary of Hungary Mary, also known as Maria of Anjou (, , ; 137117 May 1395), reigned as Queen of Hungary and Croatia (officially 'king') between 1382 and 1385, and from 1386 until her death. She was the daughter of Louis the Great, King of Hungary and Poland ...

in adoration for the Holy Trinity and accompanied by Saint Louis and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

. The Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance is decorated with stained glass windows by the glass painter Jean De Labaer, based on drawings by

Theodoor van Thulden Theodoor van Thulden (1606–12 July 1669) was a painter, draughtsman and engraver from 's-Hertogenbosch. He is mainly known for his altarpieces, mythological subjects, allegorical works and portraits. He was active in Antwerp, where he had tr ...

, one of Rubens's pupils. These windows, created between 1654 and 1663, describe the main episodes in the life of the Virgin Mary. Also worth mentioning are the impressive series of fifteen stained glass windows from the 19th century in the

s, produced by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier. They were created in 1870 for the celebration of the fifth centenary of the Sacrament of Miracle, an

antisemitic canard Antisemitic tropes, canards, or myths are " sensational reports, misrepresentations, or fabrications" that are defamatory towards Judaism as a religion or defamatory towards Jews as an ethnic or religious group. Since the Middle Ages, such repo ...

host desecration Host desecration is a form of sacrilege in Christian denominations that follow the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It involves the mistreatment or malicious use of a consecrated host—the bread used in the Eucharistic s ...

. In 1977, then-Cardinal of Mechelen–Brussels, Leo Joseph Suenens, installed a plaque in the cathedral disavowing the 1370 events. File: ID2043-0003-0-Brussel, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedelekathedraal-PM 50808.jpg, Western facade: stained glass window by Jan Haeck after Bernard van Orley depicting the

(1528) File:ID2043-0003-0-Brussel, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedelekathedraal-PM 50786.jpg, Northern transept: stained glass window by Jan Haeck after Bernard van Orley depicting

(1537) File:ID2043-0003-0-Brussel, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedelekathedraal-PM 50792.jpg, Southern transept: stained glass window by Jan Haeck after Bernard van Orley depicting

(1538) File:Bruxels April 2012-11a.jpg, Three scenes of the ''Legend of the Sacrament of Miracle''. Stained glass windows by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier ()

Organ

The large pipe organ in the

was inaugurated in October 2000. It hangs as a

swallow's nest organ A swallow's nest organ (, german: Schwalbennestorgel) is a form of pipe organ which takes its name from its resemblance to the nests built by swallows. Rather than placed on a gallery or on the floor, the swallow's nest organ case sits on a platfo ...

at the level of the

, and has a total of 4300 pipes, 63 stops, 4 keyboards and the pedal-board. This instrument is the work of the German organ-builder Gerhard Grenzing, based in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, in collaboration with the English architect Simon Platt. The two-manual choir organ was created in 1977 in the workshop of the organ-builder . File:Grenzing Organ in the St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral Brussels.jpg, Organ by Gerhard Grenzing (2000) File: Bruxelles, Cattedrale dei SS. Michele e Gudula, Organo Collon.JPG, Choir organ by (1977)

Bells

Both towers contain bells. The south tower contains a 49-bell carillon from 1966 by the

Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry Royal Eijsbouts ( nl, Koninklijke Eijsbouts) is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands. The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15-year-old son, Johan ...

, on which Sunday concerts are often given. Out of all the bells in the carillon, only seven of them can ring. They are, from heaviest to lightest: Fabiola, Maria, Michael, Gudula, Philippe, Astrid, and Laurent. Fabiola, Philippe, Astrid and Laurent are named after members of the

Belgian Royal Family Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's he ...

. The north tower contains a single bourdon called ''Salvator, it'' was cast by Peter van den Gheyn in 1638. There is also another empty space where a second bourdon used to be. The bourdon has a deep crankshaft, but counterweights have already been removed. There are plans to hang it again on a straight axis with a flying clapper.

Trivia

Falcons in the cathedral

At the end of the 1990s, Brussels ornithologists discovered a couple of peregrine falcons hibernating on top of the cathedral's towers. In 2001, ornithologists of the

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium (french: Muséum des sciences naturelles de Belgique, nl, Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen van België) is a museum dedicated to natural history, located in Brussels, Belgium. The museum is a part of t ...

(RBINS) in association with the (FIR); a French association dedicated to the protection of raptors, installed a laying-nest on the edifice in an attempt to encourage nest-building. This laying-nest was never used, but in the spring of 2004, a pair of falcons nested on a balcony on top of the cathedral’s northern tower. At the beginning of March, the female laid three eggs. As a result of watching the three chicks perform acrobatic feats on the cathedral’s

s, at the end of May 2004, the project "Falcons for everyone" was developed by the RBINS in association with the . The project installed cameras with a live video stream on their website.

Administration

The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula serves as the co-cathedral of the Archbishop of Mechelen–Brussels, the

of Belgium, who is currently Archbishop

. Due to its location in the national capital, it is often used for Catholic ceremonies of national interest, such as royal marriages and state funerals.National events in the Cathedral
on the official site of the Cathedral For example, in 1999, it was the setting for the

wedding of Prince Philippe and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz The wedding of Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz took place on 4 December 1999 in Brussels, Belgium. The civil proceedings were conducted at Brussels Town Hall while the religious ceremony took place at the Cathedral ...

. Other official ceremonies organised in the cathedral include the ''