Treasures of St Peter's Church: the Sacrament Tower
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
TREASURES OF ST PETER'S CHURCH
The Sacrament Tower
One of the showpieces of St Peter's Church is the 15th-century sacrament tower. The imposing artwork is made of Avesnes stone, a chalk-like type of stone. It was used for storing the consecrated wafers.
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
- Twelve metres high
- The oldest preserved sacrament tower in Belgium
- Designed around 1450 by city architect Matheus de Layens, commissioned by the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament. The same order would a few years later ask the city painter Dieric Bouts to paint 'The Last Supper'.
- A sacrament tower is actually a giant tabernacle, a receptacle for consecrated wafers. The wafers were kept behind these doors.
- In these niches you can see reliefs with scenes from the Passion of Christ
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
- The Mercy Seat – a enthroned God the Father supporting the dead body of his son. This is the only place where the original polychromy been made visible again, the other scenes have been painted over.
- Can you see the resemblance to the painting from Rogier van der Weyden's atelier in M's collection?
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
‘Heilige Drievuldigheid’, Atelier Rogier Van der Weyden, ca. 1430-1440, M Leuven, photo: artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
- Baldachins, a kind of canopy
- Between the doors, beneath the smaller canopies, once housed apostle figures, but most of these have been lost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
- The front doors were opened during high mass in the church
The doors at the back were open during masses in the order's chapel, on the other side of the sacrament tower
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’, ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
In order:
- The Imprisonment
- The Crowning with Thorns
- The Flagellation
- The Garden of Gethsemane
- The Crucifixion
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’ (detail), ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’ (detail), ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’ (detail), ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’ (detail), ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
Matheus de Layens, ‘Sacrament tower of St Peter's Church’ (detail), ca. 1450, M Leuven – St Peter's Church, photo artinflanders.be, Dominique Provost
