Cattedrale di San Michele e Santa Gudula
Brussels
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is the great church of Brussels. It stands on the slope between the lower town and the upper town.
Two patron saints
The church is dedicated to the Archangel Michael and to Saint Gudula. They are the two patron saints of the city. A church already stood here in the 11th century.
A very long building site
The church you see was begun in 1226, starting with the part near the altar. Then came the naves, the long halls inside, and finally the façade with its two towers. It took about three centuries. Each generation of builders carried on the work of those before them. The white façade faces the lower town, at the top of a great flight of steps.
The voice of the church
The bells live in the towers. The biggest bell was cast in 1638 and rings only on great occasions. The other bells form a musical instrument. Musicians from all over Belgium come to play it, and sometimes from abroad too.
Belgium's church
The country's great ceremonies are held here, such as royal weddings. The church has been a cathedral since 1962. It holds a treasury of precious objects, paintings, statues and the remains of an older church.
