Church of our Lady
Situated high above Sint-Truiden, the Church of Our Lady is easily recognisable from afar. Not only is it a landmark in the landscape, it also houses rare heritage! Descending into the crypt below the church you will find a treasure chamber containing 2 of the 15 remaining painted reliquaries.
Church of our Lady
The church has a deep-rooted connection to Saint Trudo, who established the Benedictine abbey in the 17th century. In the 11th century Abbot Adelard II commissioned the construction of a wooden church, the city’s first parish church, at this location. The church comprises many references to the saint, including the shrine containing his relics below the central altar. The building underwent various transformations, from wood to stone and from Roman to neo-Gothic style. The most recent restoration was completed in 2018. To this day the interior of the church is richly decorated with stained glass windows, murals, sculptures, paintings and precious metal art. The treasury, which is located in the crypt below the church, contains liturgical objects, including reliquaries, apostle statues and monstrances.
Reliquary of Saint Eucherius (1501-1525)
Which secrets does the 16th-century shrine of Eucherius hold, hidden below sinuous green plant motifs? The red inscription states: "SCS EUCH" and refers to Saint Eucherius. Born in Orléans into an affluent family, he joined the Benedictines of Jumièges as a monk around 714. He later became bishop of Orléans, but in 733 Charles Martel exiled him to Cologne because of his criticism of the confiscation of church property. He eventually became a protégé of Count Robert I of Haspengouw, following which he retired to the Benedictine abbey of Saint Trudo in Sint-Truiden. He died in 743 and was buried alongside Saint Trudo. Miraculous stories soon circulated and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage. Unlike Saint Trudo's shrine, no effigy of Eucherius was painted here. You can find him in the Church of Our Lady though on the mural entitled The Vision of Eucherius and Litany of Marie by Jules Helbig.
Christina the Astonishing, Georges Baltus
Saint Christina hovers above the three distinctive towers of Sint-Truiden: the Abbey of Saint Trudo, the town hall and the Church of Our Lady. Eyes closed and arms outstretched she offers protection to the city. Sint-Truiden’s history is shrouded in the red glow of war violence. The prayer in the frame composed by the dean at that time, Beckers, begs for protection from plague, famine and war. Georges Baltus donated the artwork to his hometown church in 1915 as a tribute to his youth. One year earlier Baltus had been surprised by the German invasion during his summer vacation in Sint-Truiden and was unable to return to Glasgow. He was staying in his family home on Grote Markt at the time, where he completed the painting of Christina. He reportedly told a priest that the inspiration for this painting came from Christina the Astonishing by Abraham van Diepenbeeck, a pupil of Rubens.
The Last Judgment, Johannes van den Eenheu
High up in a sky of dark grey clouds, Christ sits on a globe, accompanied by Mary. Above them, angels hover with weapons of Christ, while saints on either side watch Christ. On earth, the dead are rising from their graves and angels are guiding them to heaven or hell. Johannes van den Eenheu painted The Last Judgment in 1626 after Johann Sadeler’s 16th-century engraving. Sadeler, in turn, took inspiration from a work by the German painter Christoph Schwarz (1545-1592). Van den Eenheu's mural is an almost faithful copy, except for two figures at the bottom. They fill the spaces in the corners, which are absent in Sadeler's circular engraving, but there may be more to it. The Church of Our Lady was a collegiate church involving 12 canons. Jacobus Germeys, the dean of the chapter between 1606 and 1624, was the brother of Abbot Hubert Germeys. Because of his family connection, Jacobus was viewed with suspicion and accused of embezzling capital. Rumours persisted after his death in 1624. Not happy with these allegations, the abbot allegedly ordered the painter to add two figures: the praying figure is said to represent Jacobus Germeys, while the green monster, representing the colour of envy, refers to the statement ‘Look in the mirror first before accusing someone!’.
The Rosary - Jules Helbig
Step into the enchanting Chapel of Our Lady and immerse yourself in the superb mural of The Rosary, created by Jules Helbig in 1860. The entire composition is developed around the Virgin Mary who presents the Rosary to Saint Dominic. On the left are saints such as Francis of Assisi, Bernard of Clairvaux, Clare of Assisi, Osgyth, Bridget of Sweden and Teresa of Ávila. On the right, figures such as Pope Gregory XIII, Fra Angelico of Fiesole, Tuotilo, Adelard II and Dante Alighieri also venerate the Virgin. This fascinating masterpiece attests to the deep devotion to Mary and her crucial role in Catholic faith. In addition, the painting reveals the fifteen mysteries of the rosary in subtle grisaille: the joyful mysteries at the bottom, the sorrowful ones on the left and the glorious ones on the right. This mural tells a timeless story of faith and dedication.
Practical information
Accessibility
• The church is easily accessible to people with disabilities,
• but the treasury is not easily accessible to people with disabilities.
