Country Belgium Founded 1125 Heritage designation Monument | Denomination Roman Catholic Address 3440 Zoutleeuw, Belgium | |
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Architect Cornelis Floris de Vriendt Architectural styles Romanesque architecture, Gothic architecture Similar Basilica of Our Lady - Tongeren, Gete, Suikermuseum, St Quentin Cathedral - Hasselt, Vlierbeek Abbey | ||
The Saint Leonard's Church (Dutch: Sint-Leonarduskerk) in Zoutleeuw, Belgium, stands on the former site of a Romanesque chapel erected in 1125 by Benedictines from Vlierbeek Abbey near Leuven. Construction of the present church began around 1231, and additions continued into the 16th century. Rendered mainly in the Gothic style, the building in its oldest parts shows traces of the Romanesque.
The two heavy square towers flanking the west facade are connected with each other by means of a gallery over the nave. The slender central tower, octagonal in cross-section, contains a carillon with 24 bells. Since 1999, this church with its towers has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (see Belfries of Belgium and France).
Few if any other medieval churches in Belgium remain in such an excellent state of preservation as St. Leonard's, which stayed clear of the widespread iconoclasm during the Protestant Reformation. It also survived the French Revolution intact, because three canons took an oath of allegiance to the French regime. The interior thus offers an authentic glimpse of how the churches of Brabant were furnished centuries ago.