Saint-Michaels' church

Saint Michael's Church (Sint-Michielskerk) in Leuven is one of Belgium's most striking Baroque churches, standing on Naamsestraat right in the heart of this university city. It was built between 1650 and 1671 on the initiative of the Jesuits, who originally dedicated it to the Immaculate Virgin Mary — only at the end of the 18th century did it take on its current dedication to Saint Michael, replacing an older, deteriorating parish church on Tiensestraat.

Who designed the church?

The design is the work of Willem Hesius, a Jesuit priest and architect who looked to Rome's Il Gesù — the archetypal Counter-Reformation church — for inspiration. That influence is most visible in the building's monumental, theatrical facade, widely regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of Leuven.

What makes the facade so distinctive?

The facade is built around a clear symbolic division: its lower section, roughly 16 metres tall, is densely decorated with sculpture and heavily profiled columns and represents earthly life, while the upper 8 metres, kept plain and white, stand for heaven. The composition is crowned by a curved pediment, a balustrade, and two scroll-shaped elements carved with candelabra motifs. The overall effect is so striking that the facade is often described as an altar turned inside out and placed in front of the church — a comparison that explains its singular status among Leuven's landmarks.

What can visitors see inside?

The three-aisled Baroque interior contains woodcarving of exceptional quality: the confessionals and the furnishings connected with communion are decorated with allegorical carved scenes of real artistic merit. The church also holds a baptistery housing the remains of the Jesuit Leonardus Lessius, a humanist scholar whose advice was sought by many contemporaries. Another highlight is the monumental organ, the largest in Leuven, built after the Second World War by the firm Van Loo to replace an earlier instrument that had come from the dissolved Abbey of Herkenrode.

What is the history behind the building?

Construction took more than two decades, coinciding with the high point of Counter-Reformation sacred architecture in the Southern Netherlands. After the suppression of the Jesuit order the building changed function, becoming the parish church it still is today. Owing to its scale and the richness of its decoration, it is often cited as the largest Baroque church in the area covered by present-day Belgium and the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Saint Michael's Church located in Leuven? On Naamsestraat, in the centre of Leuven, close to the city's main university buildings.

Who built the church? It was designed by Willem Hesius, a Jesuit architect who drew inspiration from Rome's Il Gesù.

Why is the facade considered special? Its theatrical, sculpture-covered composition resembles an altar set outside the building itself, which is why it counts among the Seven Wonders of Leuven.

What is inside the church? Richly decorated confessionals, a baptistery containing the tomb of Leonardus Lessius, and the largest organ in Leuven.