Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal

The Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp is a Gothic landmark in the heart of the old town and one of the tallest sacred buildings in Europe. Construction stretched over nearly two centuries, starting in 1352 and only reaching consecration in 1521 — an unusually long build time that explains why the finished structure blends several architectural periods rather than a single style.

How did the site grow from a chapel into a cathedral?

The building did not start out as a cathedral. A small chapel on the site was rebuilt into a Romanesque church sometime between the 10th and 12th centuries. It only gained cathedral status in 1559, when the Diocese of Antwerp was established — before that, it functioned as the city's largest parish church.

What makes the tower so striking?

The north tower, covered in delicate stone lacework, rises 123 metres above the old city centre, making it the tallest church tower in Belgium and one of the tallest Gothic structures in the Low Countries. The design is credited to Jan and Pieter Appelmans, who worked in the Brabantine Gothic style typical of this part of the Low Countries. The south tower was never completed, which still gives the building's silhouette a distinctive, unfinished asymmetry.

Which architectural styles come together here?

Because construction and later renovations spanned centuries, the cathedral mixes elements from several eras. Its dominant Gothic framework sits alongside Baroque additions and 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration work. The structure was built mainly from brick and white stone, giving it a distinctively pale facade compared to many other Gothic churches in the region.

What has the cathedral survived over the centuries?

The building's history includes several dramatic episodes. A major fire damaged it in 1533. Just over three decades later, in 1566, it was hit by the Beeldenstorm, the wave of iconoclasm during which Protestant crowds destroyed religious artwork and furnishings in churches across the Low Countries. In 1581 the cathedral even came under Protestant administration for a period. Centuries later, during the French Revolution, the interior was looted again in 1794. As a result of these repeated waves of destruction, almost nothing from the original medieval interior survives today.

Why is the cathedral so closely linked to Rubens?

Once the city's Catholic character was restored, the cathedral's interior was rebuilt in Baroque style. The Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens played a central role in that restoration, and his paintings remain the artistic centerpiece of the building. Four of his works hang inside the cathedral: "The Elevation of the Cross," "The Descent from the Cross," "The Assumption of the Virgin," and "The Resurrection of Christ." Among them, "The Descent from the Cross" is considered one of the most recognizable paintings in Antwerp and in Flemish Baroque art as a whole.

What else stands out during a visit?

Beyond the Rubens paintings, the cathedral houses stained-glass windows, organs, and numerous tombs and side chapels that survived the repeated cycles of destruction and rebuilding. It functions both as an active cathedral and as something close to a museum of sacred art, a combination that keeps it among the most visited landmarks in Antwerp.

Frequently asked questions

How long did it take to build the Cathedral of Our Lady? Construction ran from 1352 to 1521, nearly two centuries in total.

How tall is the cathedral's tower? The north tower stands 123 metres tall, making it the tallest church tower in Belgium.

Which Rubens paintings are inside the cathedral? Four works: "The Elevation of the Cross," "The Descent from the Cross," "The Assumption of the Virgin," and "The Resurrection of Christ."

Since when has the building held cathedral status? Since 1559, when the Diocese of Antwerp was founded.