The St. Anthony Abbot Church is a basilical building with a blind main aisle, the core of which has Romanesque remains. The current church building was built in 1559, but destroyed during successive religious wars. In 1769 it was rebuilt in classicist style (completed in 1772 as the stone above the entrance gate states). The church contains old and valuable church furniture, including a Baroque pulpit from 1665, the altarpiece in Baroque style (1770) and various statues from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The church was originally dedicated to Saint Lambert. When Opvelp was added to Bierbeek after the merger in 1976, there appeared to be a problem because Lovenjoel also had a St. Lambertus church. The church then had Saint Anthony Abbot as its patron saint.
Source: bierbeek.be

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October 11, 2025

The parish church of St. Anthony Abbot, formerly St. Lambertus Church, was likely built on the foundations of the old Romanesque church. It is a classical parish church surrounded by a churchyard with a churchyard wall and gates dating from the 18th century.

Precise information about the origins of this parish church is lacking. It is known, however, that the patronage was held by the Abbey of Maagdendal in Oplinter until the French Revolution. The church likely originated as a castral chapel. It was acquired along with the tithes in 1223 from the lord of the village, Goswin.
Archival material shows that the church was in very poor condition at the end of the 17th century. It was only after numerous interventions that the abbey was persuaded to take responsibility. On December 16, 1769, the Council of Brabant issued a ruling obliging the abbey to rebuild the church, provided that the old walls were preserved. Construction began in 1770 and was completed in 1772.

Wrought-iron gates and ten steps lead to the elevated church and the cemetery, completely enclosed by a brick wall. This entrance dates from 1898, a period during which the cemetery wall was also restored. The cemetery contains approximately 140 burial places, most of which date back to before 1940. Exceptions include a 16th-century gravestone depicting a deceased couple at the entrance to the cemetery, a priest's grave near the choir, and the gravestone of the former sexton Jacobus Noé at the rectory gate.

Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Parish Church of St. Anthony Abbot with cemetery, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/41554

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Location: Bierbeek, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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