The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Tournai in Belgium is part of Wallonia’s greatest religious heritage, having been listed in 2000 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Belgium – Tournai (03/30/2022 15:48, Gaudium Press) Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, Archbishop of Malinas-Brussels, will be Pope Francis’ special envoy to attend the ceremony for the 850th anniversary of the dedication of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai, Belgium, which will be celebrated on Sunday, May 22.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai, Belgium, is part of Wallonia’s greatest religious heritage, having been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Its construction began in the first half of the 12th century.

The consecration of the temple took place on May 9, 1171, however, in the year 1566, the cathedral was seriously damaged, first by the sacking of the iconoclasts and then during the French Revolution. In the year 1940 it suffered from German bombing and in August 1999 it was hit by a tornado.

Restoration of the Cathedral of the “City of the Five Bell Beakers

After this last disaster, the local government joined with the Catholic Church in a project to revitalize the religious temple and the entire region. From there began the long journey of restoration of the Cathedral and economic reimagining of the “City of the Five Bell Beakers”.

One of the distinguishing features of Tournai Cathedral is its exceptionally wide Romanesque nave, with a total length of 134 meters. In addition, the sculpture of its capitals and a transept with five towers constitute the Gothic art of this temple. (EPC)

Compiled by Teresa Joseph