This church is a pristine example of the Baroque style, with recurring architectural elements such as pillars and bays. It has grandiose proportions, with severe geometrical forms interspersed here and there with clusters of angels.  The peacefulness of the neighbouring square and the nearby bank of the River Scheldt also contribute to the harmony of Our Lady of St Peter's Church. 

 

Under the auspices of the Counts of Flanders, St Peter's Abbey grew to become one of the most important abbeys in the Low Countries, so the church associated with this abbey naturally shared in the glory. The building sustained significant damage during the iconoclasm of 1566, so towards the beginning of the 17th century, the decision was made to build a new church fully in line with the Counter-Reformation spirit of the time.  On 14 April 1629, the first stone was laid for this new church designed by the Flemish architect and Jesuit Pieter Huyssens (1577-1636), and the work was completed on 1 June 1722. 

During the French Revolution, the church lost its original role as an abbey church and was converted into a museum of fine arts for the region. The abbey was abolished by the Revolution, leading to the loss of a great deal of the interior and the seizure of its contents. When the nearby parish church of Our Lady was also destroyed in 1799, the abbey church was restored to its former glory in 1810 and has been used as the parish church ever since.  Outside on Sint-Pietersplein, as a mark of respect for Ghent’s past, you can now see the contours of the foundations of the demolished parish church of Our Lady. 

 

As the double name suggests, the church has an unusual history: it is an amalgamation of the names of the 13th-century Gothic parish church of Our Lady and the 17th-century Baroque Benedictine abbey church of Saint Peter.  Both churches originally stood together on Blandijnberg, the highest point in Ghent. 

Jan Janssens (1590-1650), De Verlossing van Petrus uit de gevangenis

The interior of this church houses precious works of art, including two paintings by Jan Janssens (1590-1650), a clear stylistic follower of Caravaggio who finally established himself in Ghent in 1621 after a long spell in Rome. Above the south portal of the choir hangs a painting depicting the Liberation of Saint Peter. This work was one of the four original altarpieces made in the 17th century for the new Baroque church. On the south-west pillar of the crossing hangs a second piece by Jan Janssens, Christ Crowned with Thorns, which is Janssens’ earliest known work on a theme that he would later go on to repeat many times.

Jan Baptiste Gilles (1717-1792), Justitia

Van Peteghem organ, 1847

But the jewel in the crown of this church is no doubt the stunning Van Peteghem organ. The organ conveys the Baroque atmosphere of this church in a unique, audible manner. It was built in 1847 by Pierre Van Peteghem (1792-1863) who came from a family of high repute among Flemish organ builders. The case was designed by Louis Roelandt, in perfect harmony with the style of the church. The Van Peteghem organ not only serves as a historically intact specimen, but also as a feast for the eyes and ears in the Baroque setting of Our Lady of St Peter's Church. No one less than Leopold Mozart himself wrote on 19 September 1765, a few days after his visit to Ghent, “I should mention that good organs are to be found in Flanders and Brabant”, a compliment that was most likely intended partly for the Van Peteghem family.

Gaspar De Crayer (1582-1669), De schildknaap van Totila ontvangen door Benedictus

A work attributed to Gaspar De Crayer (1582-1669), a Baroque painter from the school of Peter Paul Rubens, shows a fragment from the legend of Benedict: Saint Benedict receiving the Squire of Totila. The exact date of this piece is unknown.

Onbekende schilder, De heilige Antonius in gesprek met de heilige Paulus

Our Lady of the River, about 1400

A small alabaster statue of the Virgin Mary dating from around 1400 has been preserved from the demolished Church of Our Lady. It was invoked for protection in times of plague and epidemics. A similar statue of the Virgin Mary – also the oldest statue in the church – is the 14th-century Our Lady of the Blandijnberg, which can be found above the altar in the Chapel of Mary.

number of spectacular miracle paintings connected to Our Lady of the River

The axial chapel features a number of spectacular miracle paintings connected to Our Lady of the River. The five separate scenes over two panels are by an unknown master but give a special insight into the cult around the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. They depict healings of named Ghent residents, as well as the miraculous ‘Fiertelommegang,’ a long procession on Ascension Day in 1604, which eradicated the plague from the afflicted parish.