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Dendermonde

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St. Martin's Church Denderbelle

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Belgium

Flanders

East Flanders

Dendermonde

Lebbeke

St. Martin's Church Denderbelle

Recommended by 32 hikers out of 34

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Location: Lebbeke, Dendermonde, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to St. Martin's Church Denderbelle

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2. Denderbelle Lock Complex – Boardwalk Denderbellebroek loop from Wieze

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3. Denderbelle Lock Complex – Boardwalk Denderbellebroek loop from Wieze

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Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

March 16, 2022

Small church where all 'cows' are welcome on Sundays. Cows is the nickname for residents of Denderbelle 😜

History:

St. Martin's Church is one of the listed monuments in our parish. Our church building has quite a history behind it. Indeed, as early as 1227 there is mention of the parish of Denderbelle and in 1232 mention is made of a pastor and the receipt of tithes (tax money) for the church. In 1433, Jan Utenzwane barricaded himself in the church to escape persecution imposed on the authority of the French king.

The Calvinists in particular caused serious damage in 1572, only the choir remains standing. This church choir, the current oldest part, dates from 1539. The church has since been renovated several times. At first it was a cruciform church. This immediately explains why our church has such thick pillars, these used to be the outer walls in which openings were later made to enlarge the church and the side aisles. This enlargement was necessary because the Belse population was growing (from 290 practitioners in 1469 to 1162 practitioners in 1846). The church underwent its last enlargement (at the back where the organ now stands) in 1896. The thefts committed by various rulers also caused the disappearance of beautiful church treasures. However, the Belgian population has always protected the church heritage. The most striking example is the sabotage of the public sale of church property by the then mayor during the French Revolution.

Some wonder why the church is so special and not centrally located in the village. This has to do with the fact that when the church was built, it was located at the intersection of a road coming from Brabant, a road that connected Aalst and Dendermonde and a ford through the Dender, close to the then castle: “Hof Ter Belle”. The village square had a market or trading function. Over time, the mudflats and springs have lost their economic importance.

To this day, the church building plays an important role in the lives of many Bellenarians and even though they no longer meet weekly, it remains a gathering place at important moments in their lives. In any case, if the stones could speak, they could tell the history of many Belgian families and ancestors.

Source: denderbelle.be

Translated by Google •

DirkWi

April 21, 2024

The oldest part of the church, the choir, dates from 1539. It is the only thing left of the old church (whose history dates back to the thirteenth century) after a Calvinist iconoclasm in 1572.

The church has undergone several extensions over the centuries - the last in 1896 - and other renovations.

The church was built at the intersection of a road coming from Brabant, a road that connected Aalst and Dendermonde and a ford through the Dender, close to the then castle: “Hof Ter Belle”. The village square had a market or trading function. Over time, the mudflats and springs have lost their economic importance.

Source: mariaparochie.be/kerken/denderbelle-st-martinuskerk

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 50 m

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Tuesday 23 September

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Location: Lebbeke, Dendermonde, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

St. Martin's Church Denderbelle

1. Boardwalk Denderbellebroek – Denderbelle Lock Complex loop from Dendermonde

2. Denderbelle Lock Complex – Boardwalk Denderbellebroek loop from Wieze

3. Denderbelle Lock Complex – Boardwalk Denderbellebroek loop from Wieze

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