BELGIUM - LIER - Collégiale St Gommaire (31)
Lier is a Belgian city located in the province of Antwerp. The city is said to have been founded in the 11th century. In 1212, the Duke of Brabant Henri I granted an urban charter to the inhabitants. The fourteenth century was a period of prosperity for the city: construction of a cloth hall in 1367, a belfry in 1369 and a second rampart in 1389. The prosperity of the city was based on the drapery industry and on the existence of a cattle market, which had been granted to it by the Dukes of Brabant.
St Gummarus Collegiate Church
The St Gummarus Church in Brabantine Gothic, was built on the site where a Roman parish church dedicated to John the Baptist once stood.
Its construction started in 1378 and took around 200 years. Hence the lower parts are pure gothic, the middle ones baroque and the roof of the tower rococo.
On 20th October 1496 the wedding of Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile was celebrated here.
St Gummarus Tower, known as the "Peperbus” (Pepper pot) to the people of Lier, is 83m high. Due to a number of catastrophes it took almost four centuries to build. We can see this from the various architectural styles: Gothic at the bottom, the octagon resting on this is late Gothic, the top octagon is late baroque and the tower roof is rococo.
At the top of the tower is a unique 18th St Gummarus carillon.
BELGIUM - LIER - Collégiale St Gommaire (31)
Lier is a Belgian city located in the province of Antwerp. The city is said to have been founded in the 11th century. In 1212, the Duke of Brabant Henri I granted an urban charter to the inhabitants. The fourteenth century was a period of prosperity for the city: construction of a cloth hall in 1367, a belfry in 1369 and a second rampart in 1389. The prosperity of the city was based on the drapery industry and on the existence of a cattle market, which had been granted to it by the Dukes of Brabant.
St Gummarus Collegiate Church
The St Gummarus Church in Brabantine Gothic, was built on the site where a Roman parish church dedicated to John the Baptist once stood.
Its construction started in 1378 and took around 200 years. Hence the lower parts are pure gothic, the middle ones baroque and the roof of the tower rococo.
On 20th October 1496 the wedding of Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile was celebrated here.
St Gummarus Tower, known as the "Peperbus” (Pepper pot) to the people of Lier, is 83m high. Due to a number of catastrophes it took almost four centuries to build. We can see this from the various architectural styles: Gothic at the bottom, the octagon resting on this is late Gothic, the top octagon is late baroque and the tower roof is rococo.
At the top of the tower is a unique 18th St Gummarus carillon.