Church of Saint Martin

The Church of Saint Martin in Zaventem is a Gothic parish church standing at the heart of the town, with roots reaching back to the 11th and 12th centuries. While most of today's structure reflects later rebuilding campaigns, the lower part of the tower still preserves genuine Romanesque masonry from that earlier period — the oldest surviving fragment of the building and a clear sign that a place of worship stood here even before the close of the 9th century, when the parish came to be associated with the cult of Saint Martin of Tours.

How did the church evolve over the centuries?

The church's present Gothic appearance is the result of extensive rebuilding carried out during the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1567 the Romanesque choir was substantially lengthened to accommodate the needs of a growing congregation. A few decades later, between 1599 and 1605, the tower was raised in height and fitted with two sound openings on each side — a detail that still gives the tower its distinctive rhythm today.

A further major expansion came in the 19th century. Faced with a rapidly growing population in Zaventem, the church fabric board decided in 1862 that the building needed to be enlarged. Construction work followed in 1863–1864, adding a neo-Gothic section that allowed the church to accommodate its expanding parish — this 19th-century addition now stands alongside the much older core, giving the building a visibly layered architectural history.

What makes this church stand out on the art map?

The Church of Saint Martin owes much of its international recognition to a single work of art: a painting by the Flemish Baroque master Anthony van Dyck. The canvas depicts a scene from the legend of Saint Martin — the moment when the Roman soldier cuts his cloak in two to share it with a freezing beggar. The work dates from around 1621 and counts among van Dyck's early paintings, created while he was still a very young artist building his reputation in the shadow of Rubens. Today it is considered one of the most valuable pieces of Flemish painting preserved in a parish church in the region, and it remains the main reason art lovers from across Europe make the trip to see it.

Why is the church a protected monument?

Given its historical and architectural value, spanning medieval remnants and later layers of rebuilding, the Church of Saint Martin was listed as a protected immovable heritage monument on 25 March 1938. The protection covers the entire structure, from the Romanesque base of the tower through the Gothic and neo-Gothic additions to the interior furnishings.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Church of Saint Martin in Zaventem? A historic Gothic parish church with a Romanesque core dating to the 11th–12th centuries, located in the center of Zaventem.

What artwork is housed inside the church? A painting by Anthony van Dyck from around 1621, showing Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar — one of the artist's early works.

Since when has the church been a protected monument? It has been listed as protected immovable heritage since 25 March 1938.

What is the oldest part of the building? The lower section of the tower, which preserves genuine Romanesque construction from nearly a thousand years ago.