Sint-Pauluskerk is one of the cornerstones of Antwerp. It exudes an irresistible charm all of its own. In Antwerp ‘Sint-Paulus’ is a household name thanks to its immense artistic inheritance, the silent, picturesque calvary, the romance of the old monastery complex, the glory of the solemn orchestral masses, but thanks also to its location - like a well-anchored beacon in the time-honoured skippers’ quarter. Its monumental baroque tower with double lantern crown often puts in a roguish appearance in the cityscape.
This house of the Dominican order was a truly intellectual study centre in the Middle Ages, and even more so in the time of the Counter-Reformation. Its patron saint, Paul, watches over the preachers from here as they journey through their own city and environs, and in the 17th century, even through mainly protestant Northern Europe. Mindful of their motto as it’s written on the high altar, they go off preaching ‘in belief and in truth’.
The first small church here was dedicated in 1276. In the 16th century, there were plans to build a bigger church with a higher floor level so as to arrest the periodic flooding from the Schelde river (even though it was then still clean and pure!). After all the troubled times of the 16th century, people could once again get to work on the gothic extension. Not for nothing is Sint-Paulus called ‘a baroque jewel in a gothic shrine’; the baroque furnishings are wonderfully reconciled with the gothic architecture.
After the abolition of the monastery by the French in 1796, Prior Peltiers succeeded in buying back the church. The church was bought by the City as a new parish church. In 1968, a disastrous fire destroyed the whole complex. The most urgent restoration work was left to wait far too long. After twenty years, a new roof was finally put on. All this agony is now approaching an end. The restoration is almost behind us now, to the relief of everyone.
The baroque heyday is celebrated here.
The art of painting is represented here by Antwerp masters like Rubens, Jordaens and Van Dyck, not least in the series of fifteen paintings depicting the mysteries of the rosary.
There is a superabundance of sculpture: altars and communion rails, choir stalls and organ, epitaphs and archways and above all the confessionals with as many as forty life-size figures and richly sculptured wainscoting. And - as if all that was not enough - there is a huge sculpture garden like a live open-air theatre. Exceptional craftsmanship by Kerricx, Verbrugghen, Quellin and others, with that unmistakable Flemish accent of vitality and narrative art, which is particularly apparent in the confessional boxes where the inner struggle of man between good and evil is illustrated in an astonishingly creative manner. Whether it is unruly dogs, roaring lions, sparring roosters, lustful monkeys or a real ‘scapegoat’, their strength must be curbed and tamed. The creativity behind all these devotional symbols is inestimable: a dancing skeleton reminds us of mortality, a butterfly of resurrection to a new and undreamed-of life. Children’s games like fives, blowing bubbles and cat and mouse (!) are designed to stimulate celestial virtuousness without spoiling the fun...: a timeless message.
And there is more. The painting 'The seven works of mercy’ testifies to the social condition of our ancestors, while the set of marine paintings ‘The sea battle of Lepanto’ (J. Peeters, 1671) illustrates a piece of European history. Saint-Paul’s church also has something to say about art dealing and especially about art stealing. Several works were bought or taken by foreign visitors/occupiers: the price of success! Now tourist can satisfy themselves with a whole series of publications produced by the dedicated Friends of Sint-Paulus. And nowhere else in Antwerp do you find so many masks. Each in its own way, they smile upon you even in the cloisters: a psychological device designed to help brighten up the daily grind.
The imposing organ, which rates as one of the top ten historical organs in Europe, is another source of joy. Together with choir and orchestra, it touches the emotions of churchgoers during the famous solemn orchestral masses on feast days. Not to be missed!
Laatste wijziging op 9/8/2002
Description St. Paul’s church