This church, dedicated to Saint-Rémy, who baptised Clovis, King of the Franks, at the end of the 5th century, belongs to the commune of Ittre in the Roman Country. It became the setting for a treasure entrusted to it by the last nuns of Aywières who were fleeing the French Revolution...
The current building (1898) in neo-Romanesque Gothic style includes on the lower north side the Gothic chapel of Notre-Dame d’Ittre dating from 1590. This had already replaced the even older chapel from 1351.
Inside, an exceptional pictorial decoration is reminiscent of certain Romanesque churches in France (notably the medallions in honour of the twelve apostles with, extremely rarely, an image of Judas). The striking vaults with their iron frames, integrated according to the method of Gustave Eiffel, and the ciborium (canopy above the altar) in multicoloured wood give the whole building a prestigious appearance.
The oak statue of Our Lady of Ittre in the old chapel has been venerated over the centuries. It originates from Bois-Seigneur-Isaac, a village near Nivelles, and dates from around 1270. During the plague epidemic of 1336, Our Lady of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac was carried from village to village in the region in the hope of stopping the plague. When the epidemic was over, Ittre did not want to return the statue, which was considered miraculous, and had a chapel built for it. The stained glass windows of Notre-Dame d’Ittre illustrate this story and that of the pilgrimage that began in 1336.
The church of Saint-Remy also houses an interesting treasure donated by the last nuns of Aywières who were fleeing the French Revolution. Among the recovered pieces is the shrine of Saint Lutgarde, a nun at the Cistercian abbey of Aywières, who died in 1246. It is a piece of Liège goldwork from 1624 in repoussé silver.
But the treasure also includes the painted wooden shrine of Saint Sybille de Cages (1643), as well as a reliquary of the Holy Cross from the 15th century.
If you are curious and observant, you can find a small rosary cross in the facade of the current church, placed by a worker from Ittrois who helped build the building...