As you step inside the beguinage of Ter Hoyen, you encounter an architectural delight: a monumental church rises from a green expanse of parkland, surrounded by stately trees and a mosaic of beguines’ houses and convents concealed behind white brick walls. It is not often you find such a large church in a beguinage.
Hooie or Hoye is the name of the meadowland that once stretched between the lower Scheldt river and the Muinkmeersen marshes, and between two gates of the city, the ‘Hooipoort’ and the ‘Vijfwindgatenpoort’. This is where Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders, founded the beguinage in 1234. Dedicated to Mary, the name Our Lady Ter Hoyen reflects this location. A chapel was built here around 1262. The following year, the chapel was consecrated by the Bishop of Tournai. Countess Margaret granted it the same privileges as other churches. Historical iconography shows the place of worship as a four-bay hall church. In the 1534 city plan, it is shown with no apse or choir, although in reality it would already have had an apse and side aisles at the time, given that records from the 14th century refer to masses organised in the choir.
The current, late Renaissance beguinage church dates from the 17th-18th century and is dedicated to the Presentation of Our Lady. The name of the church is represented by the painting on the left-hand altar by Nicolas De Liemaecker (1644). In contrast to the more austere side façades, the 1720 Baroque front façade catches the eye. Along with St Peter’s Abbey, it is one of the highlights of Baroque Ghent. It marks a victory of the Counter-Reformation, and also a personal victory for the prioress, Isabelle Françoise van Hoorebeke.
The beguinage of Ter Hoyen is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In one word: Piety►
On entering the church, you immediately notice the light streaming through the nave’s many clerestory windows. The interior of the church is arranged harmoniously, with a clear layout, stucco rendering and light-coloured paint, making it a haven of peace and piety. The church as it stands today has a three-nave basilica plan with an eight-bay nave between the side aisles and a straight crossing, plus a one-bay choir enclosed on three sides.
The consistency of the architectural features, such as the separating arches, columns, transverse arches with recessed decorated panels, and the busts of the apostles on corbels along the walls, bring a uniformity to the design that exudes peace. A similar pattern of archways and transverse arches can be found in the side aisles. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with gilded stars.
The furnishings are fairly understated, albeit with some noteworthy pieces including the Fountain of Life polyptych by Lucas II Horenbout (1560-1626); on the high altar, the Virgin Mary with four worshippers, by Gaspar de Craeyer (1584-1669); the Presentation of Our Lady (1644) by Nicolas De Liemaecker (1600-1646); and works by Jan van Cleef (1646-1716) and Lodewijk Cnudde (1671-1741).
History of a church►
The Gothic beguinage church suffered greatly under the iconoclastic furies of 1566 and 1578, during the Calvinist Republic.
The reconstruction of the church in late Renaissance to early Baroque style commenced in 1658 under Philipotte Dysembaert, the prioress from 1629-1664, and Rochus de Scheemaecker, the beguinage priest at the time. However, a lack of funds put a stop to the construction work in 1660. The choir section was completed with a wooden outer wall, provisionally large enough to accommodate the 175 beguines in the beguinage.
Françoise Isabelle Van Hoorebeke, the new prioress from 1710 to 1725, wanted to have the building completed in 1710, albeit not in the original Renaissance style but following the trend for Baroque architecture. This plan met with opposition from the clergy, who favoured a more austere style. After much wrangling, Prioress Van Hoorebeke was finally given permission to rebuild the church as she wished, and in 1720, she graced it with a Baroque façade. By then, the number of beguines had increased to around 400. The women instrumental in the construction are commemorated in the church: Prioress Dysembaert has a coat of arms on the outside of the church’s turret, and Prioress Van Hoorebeke has her insignia on the inside of the entrance wall, although it is somewhat concealed behind the organ, which was later added by Prioress Françoise Dansaert.
History of a place►
There were a total of 89 houses in the beguinage, the oldest ones dating from the 17th century. Those with sufficient resources could apply for a house, although the property would be returned to the beguinage without compensation upon the beguine’s death or departure. A few of the houses in the beguinage were very spacious, and some of the beguines employed a maid. The beguines provided for their own needs, so they were obliged to work for a living.
Since the Middle Ages, the beguines had been making sheets. One of their favoured occupations was lacemaking, needle lace and bobbin lace, which could be combined with spinning, sewing and altering clothing. If they wanted to work outside the beguinage, they could also turn to family and friends. Some worked in the infirmary as nurses, also providing nursing care to family or acquaintances outside the beguinage.
This proved to be their salvation during the French Revolution. The beguinage was confiscated but was able to survive because the beguines gave medical aid to the French soldiers. The beguines even sewed shirts for the French army in 1793. In return, the military ensured the beguines’ safety. Thanks to the administration of the municipal committee for the houses of worship (Commissie van de Burgerlijke Godshuizen), they were able to escape the nationalisation of all religious property and their occupation by the revolutionaries. Ter Hoyen relinquished its independence in order to survive. The beguinage came under threat again at the end of the 19th century, this time from Ghent’s liberal city council.
In 1862, the German Duke of Arenberg purchased the beguinage and everything it contained, and rented it back to the beguines. After WWI however, the beguinage nearly succumbed. As the Duke was German, his assets were sold off.
Fortunately, sufficient funds were available for an association to be founded in 1925, and the beguines were able to take possession of their beguinage again. This association still has full ownership of the beguinage to this day. In September 2004, the last remaining beguine, Hermina Hoogewijs, moved to a nursing home in Wetteren due to health problems. This brought an end to the beguine community in Ter Hoyen for good.
Highlighted►
The Church of the Presentation of Our Lady is a place where the Counter-Reformation is omnipresent, exemplified in the majestic Baroque façade and the many works of art inside the church. The Baroque style was already in vogue in Ghent, and the Catholic church was doing everything it could to restore the faith in the aftermath of the Reformation.
The Baroque façade
The side and choir walls are brick, with sandstone used around the windows, and for the rhythmic pilasters and horizontal strips. A turret with a hexagonal footprint adjoins the choir. The crowning glory is no doubt the Baroque façade on the western side: it is made entirely of sandstone and stands on a plinth of Belgian bluestone. It is a typical Baroque façade with three tiers separated by double pilasters on high bases, with recessed shafts and bluestone capitals.
In its centre, there is a monumental arched entrance flanked by columns that support an entablature and a pediment, broken up by a rounded arch niche and featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary with Child. On her left and right are St Aye and St Godelieve, also in bluestone arch niches. The face of St Aye has suffered damage, probably from the French Revolution. St Godelieve has a chapel dedicated to her just behind the church. The second tier has a rounded arch window between pilasters and is crowned with an arched pediment resting on angel heads. The corners are decorated with ornamental vases. A cartouche with the date “1720” can be seen in the bell-shaped top tier.
Fountain of Life polyptych
The church has a large polyptych by Lucas II Horenbaut, dating back to 1596. The inscriptions on the polyptych are in Dutch, rather than the usual Latin, possibly out of respect for the unschooled beguines. The work is clearly reminiscent of the Mystic Lamb, but here it is propaganda for the Counter-Reformation.
The central panel shows a double fountain that the resurrected Christ, seated on a throne, is filling from above with his redemptive blood. God the Father and the Holy Spirit are also depicted. The blood from Christ’s five wounds pours into the upper basin of the fountain of life, flowing out through the angel heads decorating the edge of the fountain. The blood thus flows into to a second basin, the ‘fountain of mercy’, from which it streams out. Saints hold golden chalices filled with blood, and martyrs add their blood to Christ's. The faithful, led by the Pope, kneel down and offer their hearts to receive drops of the blood. On the right hand side, you can see kings and scholars turning their backs on the fountain, along with non-believers and heretics. They are being lured to the Devil’s market stall by the teachings of Calvin, Luther, Mohammed and Dutchman Menno Simons, all of whom have rejected the dogmas of the Catholic Church. Satanic hell awaits them, like the souls in the bottom left corner.
The left-hand panel shows Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, the cornerstone of the Catholic faith. This is depicted by the mystic mass of Pope Gregory. On the right-hand panel, there is a scene from the Old Testament, with King David playing the harp. The high priests carry the golden Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments. The old covenant agreement that God had made with his people has now been replaced by Christ’s New Covenant.
This triptych is part of the ‘Flemish Masters in Situ’ network.
Pulpit by J.B. Heldenbergh
A particular highlight is the pulpit from 1730-1731, by the carver J.B. Van Heldenbergh (1661-1734). He made the pulpit with his son Lieven and master joiner Judocus Ambrosius. The podium is held up by a huge angel with a cross and chalice in his right hand. To the left and right, we see two cherubs holding a heart and an anchor, symbols of faith, hope and love. The podium itself portrays the four evangelists: Mark with the symbol of the lion, Luke with the ox, Matthew with the winged man, and John with the eagle. Four small cherubs depict time, death, prayer and meditation. The staircase also has a number of cherubs bearing medallions with Biblical representations: such as ‘The Calling of Peter’ (Matthew 4:18-22), ‘The Anointing of the Feet’ (John 12:1-7), and ‘The Samaritan’ (John 4:4-42).
Organ case by J.B. Heldenbergh
The organ case, also after a design by Van Heldenbergh, is crowned by St Cecilia surrounded by angels. The organ and organ case were added under Prioress Françoise Dansaert. The centre of the rood screen with its beautifully carved railing bears the coat of arms of the donor, Prioress Dansaert. There is a silver chevron in azure with three five-pointed stars in gold with her motto: ‘Astra ducunt Dansaert’: stars lead Dansaert.
Altars
The choir is dominated by the high altar, dedicated to St Begga. It is by Walram de Croock, in early Baroque style (1671), made of painted and gilded wood. It was restored by Joseph Janssens in 1934. Above the altar, we see an image of St Begga, the patroness of the beguines. This altar features Caspar de Craeyer's painting depicting St Ildefonsus, St Bernard, St Anselm and St Rupertus venerating the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. St Ildefonsus, the renowned bishop of Toledo who defended the Immaculate Conception in the 7th century, is handing Mary a chasuble.
The side altar on the left, in honour of the Virgin Mary, is decorated with the painting The Presentation of Our Lady (1644) by Nicolas de Liemaecker, known as Roose. This is considered one of this artist’s most beautiful works. It is striking how different the facial expressions of the figures are. The high priest, with very masculine features, receives the young Mary from the hands of her mother, St Anne. Behind her is a group of women expressing both curiosity and joy.
The side altar on the right, dedicated to St Aye, features a painting by Jan Van Cleef depicting the saint offering a blessing to the Baby Jesus. Princess Aye, born around 620, succeeded her cousin Saint Waldetrude as the abbess of Chateaulieu. She is invoked for help in trials, legal disputes and against unfair prosecution. Mary, seated on a throne with St Anne behind her, is holding the Baby Jesus. The painting of St Aye, portrayed in a kneeling position and bearing the abbess cross, is of lesser quality. Beside her, we see her guardian angel. In the foreground, three figures stand by a coffer, pulling all sorts of documents out of it.
The central nave with 16 busts
The parapets under the clerestory windows are decorated with a series of busts of the apostles. There are a total of 16 sculptures on either side of the upper part of the nave. One of them can be recognised as a woman and is presumed to be Mary, Mother of Jesus, since the church is dedicated to her. She is adorned with a decorative garland and depicted with an angel. St Joseph, her husband and the father of Jesus, stands opposite, also with a garland.
In Western Christianity, there were originally 12 apostles, including Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Judas has been replaced by Matthew. Stephen, the first martyr, is another addition. Paul completes the series. Below the corbel, there is a symbol in a cartouche surrounded by volutes, which helps to identify some of the figures. For instance, Simon Peter is shown holding the keys of heaven. Often, the method by which the apostles were martyred is shown. An example is Bartholomew or Nathanael, who can be recognised here by a knife: he preached all the way to India, where he is said to have been skinned alive.
The bell
A beguinage church or chapel was not supposed to have a tower, but this one does. It bears the emblem of Prioress Phillipotte Dysembaert. The existing bell was recast in 1688 by bellfounders François and Jan Van Halle. In 1722, Prioress Isabelle Van Hoorebeke had two bells cast by the famous master bellfounder of Ghent, Jan Pauwels. Both were hung in the tower and bear the family coat of arms of Prioress Françoise Isabelle Van Hoorebeke, featuring a hunting horn.
In 1943, the smallest bell disappeared during the German occupation.
In 1963, a descendant of the Pauwels family wanted to make up for this loss and the beguines contributed to the costs of a new bell, cast at Petit & Fritzen and hung in the tower. The large bell was named Mary and the smaller one, Godelieve. The Godelieve bell bears the name of the donor Pauwels, a descendent of the original bellfounder. The large bell was transferred to St Bavo’s Cathedral, where it hangs in a side chapel. The smaller bell was given a place in a bell frame at the back of the church.
Info
From 1 April to 1 November: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
From 2 November to 31 March: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.