Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal, Mechelen

About

The Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Leliëndaal) is a Roman Catholic church in Mechelen, Belgium, served by the Society of Jesus. It was designed by Lucas Faydherbe and is a protected structure, designated by the city council of Mechelen as one of its eight historic churches.

Foundation: The site of the church was originally owned by the Norbertine St. Michael's Abbey in Antwerp. The architect was Lucas Faydherbe, a native of Mechelen and a nephew of Lucas Franchoys the Younger, who had studied with Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp. The foundation stone was laid in 1662. Construction was delayed on multiple occasions, because the façade tilted dangerously forward. In 1664, the façade was demolished and rebuilt. In 1670, the first Mass was said and in 1674 the church was solemnly inaugurated.

Napoleonic Wars: In the early 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars, the church was seriously neglected and half of it was turned into a hospice for the poor of the city. The furnishings were sold and holes were made in the gables for people to be able to see out and over the church to help defend it against attack. A wall was placed in the church...