During the Middle Ages, the Beguinage was located in a side street of the Kardinaal Mercierstraat, which is still called the Kleine Begijnhofgang.
In 1247, the Beguines bought a large piece of land in Webbekom where the current Beguinage of Sint-Catharina-ten-Velde was founded. The Beguines built houses and the Sint-Catharina church with cemetery in the middle of the fields.
The Beguines only made temporary promises of obedience and chastity. It was mainly a place where unmarried daughters could stay safely. The Beguines were active in the cloth industry but also allowed children to live there for a fee. A Beguine could buy a house for the duration of her life or rent herself to another Beguine. If they were really poor, they could go to one of the convents.
At the beginning of the 16th century, all kinds of abuses prevailed at the Beguinage and there was little spirituality. In 1538, Nicolaas Esschius became pastor of the Diest Beguinage. He was the nephew of Johannes van Essche, who was provost of the Sint-Sulpitius chapter. Pastor Esschius immediately implemented reforms. From then on, the Beguines followed a sober and devout life, full of prayer and reflection. The Diest Beguinage became an example for numerous beguinages in the Netherlands.
In 1669, the Beguinage reached its largest number of inhabitants: approximately 400 Beguines and 200 resident children lived in this mini-city. It was also around this period that the current Beguinage acquired its current appearance.
The Sint-Catharinakerk became a true treasure trove of 17th-century painting. Works by Theodoor Van Loon, Frans Francken II, Jan Erasmus Quellinus II and Pieter-Jozef Verhaghen can still be admired there today.
The Beguinage of Diest is today one of the 13 Flemish beguinages that are registered on the UNESCO list of World Heritage. The Saint Catherine Church has since been deconsecrated and has been used several times as a location for concerts and exhibitions.
Source: information board at the church entrance (purple board).