The oldest parts of this early Gothic collegiate church date from the mid-13th century. The choir was replaced by a new one after 1300, with an ambulatory and side chapels. After the Battle of Westrozebeke (1382), the church was badly damaged and largely rebuilt. Other renovations took place in the 16th and 17th centuries and after the Second World War. The interior was built in a rich Baroque style in the 17th century, after the iconoclasm. On the south side is the Count's Chapel, built by Lodewijk van Male in 1370. The niches contain paintings of the former rulers of the County of Flanders.
The church stood on the count's domain. In 1300, this place was occupied by French troops and fortified into a fortress. After the Bruges Matins, Flemish troops came to besiege the castle. On 11 July 1302, the conflict with France reached a peak. You can relive the story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs here in the permanent exhibition '1302: Uprising, Battle, Turning Point'.
(Information board on site)