Saint James' Church, Antwerp

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Saint James' Church in Antwerp, Belgium is built on the site of a hostel for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. The present building is the work of the Waghemakere family with Rombout Keldermans, in Brabantine Gothic style. The church contains the grave of Rubens in the eastern chapel. In Dutch it is called Sint-Jacobskerk.

From 1431 on, even before the church was built, the chapel on this site was a stop on the route to the burial place of apostle Jacob (aka apostle James) in Santiago de Compostela. In 1476 the chapel became a parish church so plans were made to replace the modest building with a large church. 15 Years later, in 1491, construction of the late-gothic church started. It wouldn't be until 1656 - when baroque was en vogue - before the church was finally completed. Fortunately throughout all these years the architects closely followed the original gothic design, hence the consistent gothic exterior. The interior however is decorated in baroque style.

The plans at the start of the construction, in a time when Antwerp was on its way to become Europe's most important economic center, were very ambitious. The church would feature just one tower, but about 150m tall (492 ft), well above the 123m (403ft) of the two planned towers of the Cathedral of Our Lady. Unfortunately, due to the decline of the city from the mid 16th century on, financial problems eventually caused construction to be halted after the tower had reached just one third of its planned height.

In the 17th and 18th century St. James' Church was the parish church of Antwerp's prominent citizens, several of whom built private burial chapels in the church. The most famous is that of Antwerp's renowned painter Pieter Paul Rubens, completed five years after his death in 1640. The painting above Rubens' tomb is from the master himself.

While the original interior was destroyed during the iconoclastic furies in 1566 and 1581, the baroque 17th century interior is well preserved thanks to a priest who pledged allegiance with the French revolutionaries, who had just invaded the city. In return, he was rewarded with Interior of the St. James Church in Antwerpchoosing one church that would not be plundered. Many of the original stained-glass windows were unfortunately destroyed during WWII.

St. James' Church boasts some fine baroque interior decorations, like the wood carved choir stalls, created between 1658 and 1570, the opulent main altar (1685) and the communion rails of the holy chapel (1695). The central, wood-carved pulpit was created in 1675 by Lodewijk Willemssens. The organ, built by J.B. Forceville in 1727, is also original, including the still functioning mechanical action.