Things to See in Ghent – Cathedral of St Bavo

One of Ghent’s interesting sites is the towering Gothic Cathedral of St Bavo, also known as Sint Baaf, which stands on the site of two previous churches, the wooden structure of the Church of St John built in 942 and a later Romanesque church from the year 1038.  The current cathedral, with its stout bell tower, dates to the 14th century.  Visitors to St Bavo have the opportunity to visit the current Chapel of St John to see the 15th century multi-paneled or polyptych altarpiece painted by brothers Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck.  The painting known as Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, has been throughout its existence a target of invading armies and thieves.  The work, which contains 24 panels, has changed location and/or ownership through the centuries.  The ‘Ghent Altarpiece’, as it is also known, traveled to France with French troops in the 1700s, returned to Belgium in the 1800s, where some panels from the work were pawned by the Diocese, sold to collectors and galleries, confiscated by the Germans in WWI, returned again to Belgium, and seized once more by German forces during WWII, before being ‘liberated’ by US forces and returned again to Belgium and put on display in St Bavo’s.  The current masterpiece includes a few reproductions of the panels that were stolen and never recovered.  In addition to this work, visitors can view other pieces of religious art and artifacts, including ‘Saint Bavo enters the convent at Gent’ by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens. A minimal entrance fee is required to visit the altarpiece and the Chapel.

Before closing out this series on Ghent, we wanted to mention that in addition to being a city with scenic views, historical art and medieval architecture, Ghent is also a city that celebrates music and performing arts.  Each year in July, Ghent hosts the Gentse Feesten, a 10-day festival featuring street performances, music and theater.

This ‘Ghent Festival’ is primarily composed of the International Puppet Buskers Festival and the Ghent Jazz Fest.

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