Sint-Martinuskerk

Sint-Martinuskerk is the historic parish church at the heart of Pepingen, a small municipality in Flemish Brabant, southwest of Brussels. The building sits right in the village center, and for decades it has shaped the area's character — three imposing 19th-century farm buildings form an almost square configuration together with the church, a layout that still defines the look of Pepingen's core today.

How old is this church?

The building's history stretches across many centuries, with successive elements added from the 12th through the 20th century. Traces of several architectural periods survive in its structure — Romanesque origins, Gothic development, and later reworkings from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The result is a heterogeneous but coherent whole, built in the Hainaut Gothic style typical of the border region between Hainaut and Brabant. The church's silhouette includes a west tower with a round stair turret on its north side flanked by the side aisles, a three-aisle nave with three bays, a transept, and a choir closed on three sides.

Why is the church legally protected?

Sint-Martinuskerk has held protected monument status since August 12, 1943. That is not the only layer of protection covering the site — since October 8, 2021, the entire layout of Pepingen's village center has also been protected as architectural heritage, and since June 3, 1986, the historic rural landscape of the village center has carried its own protected status. The church therefore sits at the core of three overlapping heritage protections: the building itself, the surrounding structures, and the village landscape.

What stories does the interior hold?

Inside the church stands a 16th-century tomb monument of the d'Herbais family — a monumental composition measuring 2.5 by 5 meters, carved from black and white marble. It is considered one of the earliest known tomb monuments of its era to depict the figures kneeling rather than lying down, which was the standard convention before that. The d'Herbais family, with roots in northern France, held extensive properties across the municipality from the 14th well into the 19th century and often resided in the area — a castle belonging to the family once stood behind the church. The monument had fallen into poor condition over time but has recently undergone a thorough restoration.

What about the church bells?

The current bells were hung in the tower 75 years ago, replacing the ones seized by the German occupying forces during World War II. Their return marked a meaningful moment for the local community, symbolizing recovery after the losses of the war years.

How does the church connect to the village's history?

The story of Sint-Martinuskerk is closely tied to the history of Pepingen itself. Starting in 1906 — 120 years ago — the first rural tramline began running through the village, transforming daily life for residents and becoming an essential link to the nearby town of Halle. Standing at the center of this web of connections, the church has remained a point of reference for the community for centuries.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside Sint-Martinuskerk? As an active parish church, it is generally open to the public during events such as Open Monumentendag (Open Monuments Day), when its most notable stories and features are highlighted for visitors.

What is the most notable feature inside? The 16th-century marble tomb of the d'Herbais family stands out as one of the few surviving early examples of a tomb monument showing kneeling figures.

Is the building's architecture from a single period? No — construction and additions span from the 12th to the 20th century, making the church something of a record of the region's successive building periods.