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Schepenhuis, Aalst

Aalst, BelgiumBell towers in BelgiumBuildings and structures in East FlandersCity and town halls in BelgiumTourist attractions in East Flanders
Aalst belfry
Aalst belfry

The Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House) of Aalst, Belgium, is a former city hall, one of the oldest in the Low Countries. Dating originally from 1225, it was partially rebuilt twice as a result of fire damage, first after a 1380 war and again after a fireworks accident in 1879. The belfry tower at one corner of the building was completed in 1460, and in the next year was equipped with a carillon built by master craftsmen from Mechelen. The current carillon, the sixth installed since the original, has 52 bells. Inscribed on the tower are the Latin words nec spe, nec metu ("not with hope, not with fear"). This was the motto of Spain's Philip II, whose domain expanded into the Low Countries in 1555. A small wing of late Gothic style, facing the market square and adorned with five life-size statues, was added in the 16th century. From this annex one can access the cellars, which originally served as torture chambers. The schepenhuis with its belfry is one of an ensemble of related buildings that together have received UNESCO World Heritage status (the Belfries of Belgium and France). The schepenhuis was depicted in the 1915 Wills's Cigarettes Gems of Belgian Architecture set. It is card number 31 of the 50 card set, originally published in the UK.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Schepenhuis, Aalst (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Schepenhuis, Aalst
Kattestraat,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 50.938333333333 ° E 4.0388888888889 °
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Address

De graaf van Egmont

Kattestraat
9300 (Aalst)
East Flanders, Belgium
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Aalst belfry
Aalst belfry
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Ninove Abbey
Ninove Abbey

Ninove Abbey (Dutch: Abdij van Sint-Cornelius en Sint-Cyprianus) was a monastery of the Premonstratensian Order in the center of Ninove, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium. Only the abbey church now remains. The parish church at Ninove was converted into a Premonstratensian Abbey in 1137 by Gerard I, Lord of Ninove, in remembrance of his wife Gisela and himself. The abbey was a filiation from Park Abbey outside Leuven.The monks settled on uncultivated lands which had been offered to them by the lord of Ninove which were near the town, on the banks of the river Dender. The community continued to grow and its financial position soon allowed it to occupy the adjacent parishes. The lay brothers undertook the farm work. The original abbey church was dedicated in 1174 and was built in Romano-Gothic style. Between 1578 and 1580, the church and abbey buildings were severely damaged. The remains of the church were demolished in 1623. A temporary chapel was built in 1635. The construction of the current Baroque church started in 1640, after Abbot Jan David brought back the plan for construction from Rome in 1628. Due to financing problems, however, the works did not progress for decades. It was not until 1716 that construction was resumed. The church was consecrated on 27 April 1727. The organ was manufactured in 1728 by the famous organ builder Jean-Baptiste Forceville. The 16th and 17th centuries were difficult times because of the political troubles and the effects of the Eighty Years' War. The 18th century brought a period of calm and prosperity. All the abbey buildings were reconstructed to the plans of Ghent architects Jan Baptist Simoens and Frans Drieghe, advised by Laurent-Benoît Dewez.The Abbey was suppressed on 1 February 1796 during the French period. At the request of the local people, the abbey church was converted for use as a parish church in 1813, with a dedication to the Assumption of Mary. Most of the abbey buildings were demolished in the 1820s, with the main remnant being a monumental gate.