Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel
Encyclopedia
The Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel (Dutch
: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel, French
: Basilique de Notre Dame de Montaigu, Spanish
Basílica menor de Nuestra Señora de Monteagudo) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica
in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem
, Belgium. The church was consecrated in 1627 and raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1922. It is reputedly the most frequently visited shrine of pilgrimage in Belgium
. While the cult on the Scherpenheuvel (or Sharp Hill) is older, its present architectural layout and its enduring importance are due to the patronage of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella
and the Counter-Reformation
.
that hung in an oak tree on top of the hill. According to the foundation legend a shepherd noticed that the image had fallen to the ground and decided to take it home. When he had lifted it, he discovered he was unable to move. As the herd did not return in the evening, his master got worried and went to look for the shepherd. Only by restoring the statue to its original place in the oak tree could the master release the shepherd, thereby discovering the spiritual importance of the site. The veracity of this story is impossible to ascertain. It is however clear that the inhabitants of the nearby town of Zichem would frequent the site in the second half of the sixteenth century whenever a member of the family suffered from illness. They would traditionally walk round the tree three times while praying.
Zichem was part of the barony of Diest
, a possession of the House of Orange-Nassau
. In the course of the Dutch Revolt
the barony changed hands several times. While occupied by forces of the United Provinces
between 1580 and 1583, the statue was removed in an act of iconoclasm
. After the town was retaken by Alexander Farnese
, the parishioners of Zichem restored the cult in 1587. It was later claimed that they did so after discovering the original statue and returning it to the tree. From then on the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel began to expand. Soldiers and almoners
of the Army of Flanders
that were stationed in nearby Diest or Zichem helped to spread its reputation.
, Archbishop of Mechelen, approved the cult of Scherpenheuvel in 1604. The approval was accompanied by the publication of a collection of miracles ascribed to the intercession of the Virgin of Scherpenheuvel in Dutch, French and Spanish. An English translation followed in 1606. Philip Numan, who had authored the collection, produced two more editions (1605 and 1606) as well as three more collections (1613-1614, 1617 and 1617-1618) in short succession. Latin versions were published by the famous humanists Justus Lipsius
(1605) and Erycius Puteanus
(1622). Lesser authors would produce continuations up to 1706. According to these publications, close to 700 miracles were credited to the intercession of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the course of the seventeenth century. The Latin collections in particular caused a lot of controversy among theologians, with Calvinist
authors ridiculing the whole idea of miraculous intercession by saints.
Meanwhile, it had been decided to in 1602 remove the statue from the oak tree and house it in a small wooden chapel nearby. Within the year the chapel proved too small and was replaced by a modest stone edifice. Its foundation stone was laid on 13 July 1603 by Count Frederik van den Bergh on behalf of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella
. From that point on the Archdukes showed great interest in the development of the shrine. Attributing the recent relief of the besieged town of 's-Hertogenbosch to the intercession of the Virgin, Albert and Isabella made their first pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel on 20 November 1603. It would soon become a yearly pilgrimage that took place in May or June and lasted the nine days of a novena
.
Under the patronage of the Archdukes, the emerging shrine was raised to the status of a town in 1605 and of an independent parish in 1610. Their support helped to ensure the grant of a papal indulgence
on 16 September 1606, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
. In the previous summer the stone chapel was surrounded by a closed garden or Hortus Conclusus
in the shape of a heptagon. Shortly after reaching a cease-fire with the United Provinces, Albert and Isabella announced on 28 April 1607 that they would build a vast church and surround it with a planned and fortified town. The foundation stone of the third and present church was laid by them in person on 2 July 1609, the feast of the Visitation.
With the bell tower left unfinished, the church was dedicated by Archbishop Jacobus Boonen
in June 1627. In order to ensure that a sufficient number of priests would be available to meet the needs of the ever growing number of pilgrims, the shrine was handed over to the Oratorians
. They built a convent behind the church and connected the two buildings with a long corridor. The Oratorians took care of the sanctuary until the French Republic annexed the Austrian Netherlands and dissolved all monasteries. The church then returned to the status of a parish church.
is generally credited with designing the church and staking out the general outlay of the town of Scherpenheuvel. Both the church and the town are in fact determined by the Hortus Conclusus in the shape of a heptagon. The basilica is a central and domed
structure, resting on seven columns
. The main altar
stands on the site of the oak tree. It is surrounded on six sides by chapels
. The seventh side opens on to the vestibule
, that is flanked by two more chapels. The side chapels are connected with an ambulatory
, that enables pilgrims to walk round without entering the central space. On the opposite side of the vestibule stands the unfinished bell tower
. Underneath the tower and on the outer walls are seven more altars. One of the most striking features of the exterior are the hundreds of seven-pointed gilded stars that cover the surface of the dome. The overall design of the church shows a lot of resemblance with the iconic but posterior (1631-1681) basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice
.
The main altar and six side-altars are decorated with altarpieces by Theodoor van Loon
. They represent seven scenes from the life of the Virgin. The Encounter at the Golden Gate, serving as a depiction of the Immaculate Conception
, the Birth of the Virgin
, the Presentation of the Virgin
, the Annunciation
, the Visitation and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
feature in the side chapels. The altarpiece of the main altar depicts the Assumption of the Virgin
. A number of other paintings adorn the basilica, one of which is Theodoor van Loon's Lamentation of Christ
. The statuary is by the sculptors de Nole and features the six statues of prophets
on the columns in the central space of the basilica, four seated evangelists
in the vestibule, as well as the two archangels
flanking the main entrance.
The iconographical program of the basilica is particularly rich. The recurrent use of the number seven (in the shape of the church and the town, the number of altars outside and inside, the shape of the stars on the dome) recalls the cult of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin
. Building on a tradition dating from the late fifteenth century, Our Lady of Sorrows was considered the protectress of the unity of the Burgundian Netherlands
. Built at a time that legitimate rule over the Low Countries was disputed between the monarchical and Catholic Southern Netherlands
and the republican and Calvinist United Provinces
, the cult of Our Lady of Sorrows harkened back to the days of political and religious unity.
On a further level, the iconography of the basilica develops a defense of the doctrine
of the Immaculate Conception
by employing a series of Marian emblems from the litanies
. Thus the seven columns on which the dome rests, refer to the seven columns of the House of Wisdom or Domus sapientiae in Proverbs
9:1. With its archangels standing guard and side-altars dedicated to All Saints
and All Angels, the entrance and vestibule constitute the Gateway to Heaven or Porta Caeli. The bell tower evokes the Tower of David or Turris Davidica from which one could supposedly see Shechem
(or in the case of Scherpenheuvel Zichem/Sichem). Other such emblems include the Jacob's Ladder
or Scala Jacob, the Ark of the Covenant
or Arca Testamenti, the Strong City or Urbs Fortitudinis and of course the Closed Garden or Hortus Conclusus
.
on behalf of Pope Pius IX
on 25 August 1872. Fifty years later, Pope Pius XI
accorded the church the status of a minor basilica on 2 May 1922. On 2 February 2011 Pope Benedict XVI
dedicated that year's Golden Rose
to the basilica. It was ceremoniously presented by the papal nuncio
Mgr. Giacinto Berloco on 15 May.
season runs from 1 May to the first week of November. In 2010 almost 1200 groups of pilgrims visited the shrine, with parties traveling from as far as Soest in the Netherlands and Fulda
in Germany. Over the centuries many parishes or even towns adopted the practice of a collective pilgrimage. Quite a few have survived until today. Probably the best known is De Grote Trek that covers the 57 km from Antwerp to Scherpenheuvel and has been held on every first Sunday of May since 1931. Pilgrims that have made journey on foot 25 or 50 times are traditionally entitled to a special blessing with the statue of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel.
On the Sunday after All Hallows
the statue of the Virgin is carried round the basilica in the Kaarkensprocessie or Procession of Candles. It takes its name from the numerous candles that are lit by the faithful as the statue passes by. Every 25 years the crowning of the statue of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel is commemorated with great solemnity in the so called Kroningsfeesten. They were last held in 1997.
power of this Scherpenheuvel or Montague wood. Following the approbation, Archbishop Hovius ordered the tree to be cut down. It was divided in several parts. Some remained with the sanctuary; one particularly large piece was given to Albert and Isabella. Most of this Montague wood was used to make images of the Virgin Mary. Distributed as gifts among princes, nobles and clergy, they helped to disseminate the cult of Scherpenheuvel.
Quite a few Belgian churches and convents came to possess an image carved in Montague wood. Well known examples remain in the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Antwerp, the Church of St. Hilonius in Izegem
and the chapel of the Capuchins in Enghien
. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
, the statue of the national patron saint, Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted or Our Lady of Luxembourg, is believed to contain Montague wood. A smallish statue of the Virgin and Child in Montague wood was taken by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
to Montreal
and stands presently on her tomb in the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
.
Some places of worship became closely associated with the cult of Scherpenheuvel. In the vicinity of their château
of Mariemont
, Albert and Isabella founded the priory of Montaigu in the present day municipality of Morlanwelz
. In the town of Gray
a statue of the Virgin made out of Montague wood became the object of a regional devotion. Likewise in the Franche-Comté
, the statue donated to the priory of Bellefontaine in Brussey
came to attract many pilgrims. In the proximity of the Spanish Court, the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales obtained an altar dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Monteagudo.
The House of Lorraine
had a particular devotion for Scherpenheuvel. Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, prince-bishop of Strasbourg, founded a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the noviciate of the Jesuits
at Nancy. After his death in 1607, his sister Antoinette completed the project with an altarpiece depicting the ducal family venerating Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel. The chapel served as the repository of the embalmed hearts of the members of the House of Lorraine until 1720. The cult was also greatly favored by the French Queen Marie de' Medici
. During her regency, the Discalced Augustinians obtained a statue in Montague wood at their church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. During her exile, she donated one statue in Montague wood to the city council of Cologne
and another to the monastery
of the Discalced Carmelites
of that city. While serving the Catholic household of her daughter, Queen Henrietta Maria
, the Queen's Chapel
of St James's Palace likewise had an altar with a Madonna
in Montague wood.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scherpenheuvel, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Basilique de Notre Dame de Montaigu, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Basílica menor de Nuestra Señora de Monteagudo) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica
Minor basilica
Minor basilica is a title given to some Roman Catholic churches. By canon law no Catholic church can be honoured with the title of basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom....
in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem is a municipality located in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flemish Region, Belgium, encompassing the towns of Averbode, Messelbroek, Okselaar, Scherpenheuvel, Schoonderbuken, Keiberg, Kaggevinne, Testelt and Zichem . On January 1, 2006 Scherpenheuvel-Zichem had a total...
, Belgium. The church was consecrated in 1627 and raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1922. It is reputedly the most frequently visited shrine of pilgrimage in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. While the cult on the Scherpenheuvel (or Sharp Hill) is older, its present architectural layout and its enduring importance are due to the patronage of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
and the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
.
Origins
For many years the Marian cult on the Scherpenheuvel centered on a small statue of the Virgin MaryBlessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
that hung in an oak tree on top of the hill. According to the foundation legend a shepherd noticed that the image had fallen to the ground and decided to take it home. When he had lifted it, he discovered he was unable to move. As the herd did not return in the evening, his master got worried and went to look for the shepherd. Only by restoring the statue to its original place in the oak tree could the master release the shepherd, thereby discovering the spiritual importance of the site. The veracity of this story is impossible to ascertain. It is however clear that the inhabitants of the nearby town of Zichem would frequent the site in the second half of the sixteenth century whenever a member of the family suffered from illness. They would traditionally walk round the tree three times while praying.
Zichem was part of the barony of Diest
Diest
Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of...
, a possession of the House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
. In the course of the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
the barony changed hands several times. While occupied by forces of the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
between 1580 and 1583, the statue was removed in an act of iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
. After the town was retaken by Alexander Farnese
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
, the parishioners of Zichem restored the cult in 1587. It was later claimed that they did so after discovering the original statue and returning it to the tree. From then on the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel began to expand. Soldiers and almoners
Almoner
An almoner is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing cash to the deserving poor.Historically, almoners were Christian religious functionaries whose duty was to distribute alms to the poor. Monasteries were required to spend one tenth of their income in charity to...
of the Army of Flanders
Army of Flanders
The Army of Flanders was a Spanish Habsburg army based in the Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longest standing army of the period, being in continuous service from 1567 until its disestablishment in 1706...
that were stationed in nearby Diest or Zichem helped to spread its reputation.
Development of the shrine
After an official enquiry, Mathias HoviusMathias Hovius
Mathias Hovius , born Matthijs Van Hove, was from 1569 until 1620 the third primate of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels...
, Archbishop of Mechelen, approved the cult of Scherpenheuvel in 1604. The approval was accompanied by the publication of a collection of miracles ascribed to the intercession of the Virgin of Scherpenheuvel in Dutch, French and Spanish. An English translation followed in 1606. Philip Numan, who had authored the collection, produced two more editions (1605 and 1606) as well as three more collections (1613-1614, 1617 and 1617-1618) in short succession. Latin versions were published by the famous humanists Justus Lipsius
Justus Lipsius
Justus Lipsius was a Southern-Netherlandish philologist and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible with Christianity. The most famous of these is De Constantia...
(1605) and Erycius Puteanus
Erycius Puteanus
Erycius Puteanus was a humanist and philologist from the Low Countries.-Life:He was born in Venlo and studied at the schools of Dordrecht and Cologne , where he took the degree of Master of Arts, 28 February 1595...
(1622). Lesser authors would produce continuations up to 1706. According to these publications, close to 700 miracles were credited to the intercession of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the course of the seventeenth century. The Latin collections in particular caused a lot of controversy among theologians, with Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
authors ridiculing the whole idea of miraculous intercession by saints.
Meanwhile, it had been decided to in 1602 remove the statue from the oak tree and house it in a small wooden chapel nearby. Within the year the chapel proved too small and was replaced by a modest stone edifice. Its foundation stone was laid on 13 July 1603 by Count Frederik van den Bergh on behalf of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
. From that point on the Archdukes showed great interest in the development of the shrine. Attributing the recent relief of the besieged town of 's-Hertogenbosch to the intercession of the Virgin, Albert and Isabella made their first pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel on 20 November 1603. It would soon become a yearly pilgrimage that took place in May or June and lasted the nine days of a novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
.
Under the patronage of the Archdukes, the emerging shrine was raised to the status of a town in 1605 and of an independent parish in 1610. Their support helped to ensure the grant of a papal indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
on 16 September 1606, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
. In the previous summer the stone chapel was surrounded by a closed garden or Hortus Conclusus
Hortus conclusus
Hortus conclusus is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden". "The word 'garden' is at root the same as the word 'yard'. It means an enclosure", observed Derek Clifford, at the outset of a series of essays on garden design, in which he skirted the conventions of the hortus conclusus...
in the shape of a heptagon. Shortly after reaching a cease-fire with the United Provinces, Albert and Isabella announced on 28 April 1607 that they would build a vast church and surround it with a planned and fortified town. The foundation stone of the third and present church was laid by them in person on 2 July 1609, the feast of the Visitation.
With the bell tower left unfinished, the church was dedicated by Archbishop Jacobus Boonen
Jacobus Boonen
Jacobus Boonen was the fourth Archbishop of Mechelen .Boonen studied at the University of Leuven and began a legal career....
in June 1627. In order to ensure that a sufficient number of priests would be available to meet the needs of the ever growing number of pilgrims, the shrine was handed over to the Oratorians
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri
The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a congregation of Catholic priests and lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. They are commonly referred to as Oratorians...
. They built a convent behind the church and connected the two buildings with a long corridor. The Oratorians took care of the sanctuary until the French Republic annexed the Austrian Netherlands and dissolved all monasteries. The church then returned to the status of a parish church.
Architecture and decoration of the basilica
The archducal architect and engineer Wenceslas CobergherWenceslas Cobergher
Wenceslas Cobergher , sometimes called Wenzel Coebergher, was a Flemish Renaissance architect, engineer, painter, antiquarian, numismatist and economist. Faded somewhat into the background as a painter, he is chiefly remembered today as the man responsible for the draining of the Moëres on the...
is generally credited with designing the church and staking out the general outlay of the town of Scherpenheuvel. Both the church and the town are in fact determined by the Hortus Conclusus in the shape of a heptagon. The basilica is a central and domed
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
structure, resting on seven columns
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
. The main altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
stands on the site of the oak tree. It is surrounded on six sides by chapels
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. The seventh side opens on to the vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
, that is flanked by two more chapels. The side chapels are connected with an ambulatory
Ambulatory
The ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
, that enables pilgrims to walk round without entering the central space. On the opposite side of the vestibule stands the unfinished bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. Underneath the tower and on the outer walls are seven more altars. One of the most striking features of the exterior are the hundreds of seven-pointed gilded stars that cover the surface of the dome. The overall design of the church shows a lot of resemblance with the iconic but posterior (1631-1681) basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
The main altar and six side-altars are decorated with altarpieces by Theodoor van Loon
Theodoor van Loon
Theodoor van Loon was a Flemish Baroque painter.-Life:Theodoor van Loon traveled twice to Italy, from 1602 to 1608 and from 1628 to 1629. He is known as a follower of Carravagio....
. They represent seven scenes from the life of the Virgin. The Encounter at the Golden Gate, serving as a depiction of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, the Birth of the Virgin
Nativity of Mary
The Nativity of Mary, or Birth of the Virgin and various permutations, is celebrated as a liturgical feast in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and in most Anglican liturgical calendars on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December...
, the Presentation of the Virgin
Presentation of Mary
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary , or The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple , is a liturgical feast celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Orthodox Churches....
, the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
, the Visitation and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante...
feature in the side chapels. The altarpiece of the main altar depicts the Assumption of the Virgin
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
. A number of other paintings adorn the basilica, one of which is Theodoor van Loon's Lamentation of Christ
Lamentation of Christ
350px|thumb|Lamentation by [[Giotto di Bondone]] in the [[Scrovegni Chapel]]The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the High Middle Ages to the Baroque. After Jesus was crucified, his body was removed from the cross and his friends and family mourned over his body...
. The statuary is by the sculptors de Nole and features the six statues of prophets
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
on the columns in the central space of the basilica, four seated evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
in the vestibule, as well as the two archangels
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
flanking the main entrance.
The iconographical program of the basilica is particularly rich. The recurrent use of the number seven (in the shape of the church and the town, the number of altars outside and inside, the shape of the stars on the dome) recalls the cult of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
. Building on a tradition dating from the late fifteenth century, Our Lady of Sorrows was considered the protectress of the unity of the Burgundian Netherlands
Burgundian Netherlands
In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to a number of Imperial and French fiefs ruled in personal union by the House of Valois-Burgundy and their Habsburg heirs in the period from 1384 to 1482...
. Built at a time that legitimate rule over the Low Countries was disputed between the monarchical and Catholic Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
and the republican and Calvinist United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, the cult of Our Lady of Sorrows harkened back to the days of political and religious unity.
On a further level, the iconography of the basilica develops a defense of the doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
by employing a series of Marian emblems from the litanies
Marian litany
A Marian litany, in Christian worship, is a form of prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary used in church services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions....
. Thus the seven columns on which the dome rests, refer to the seven columns of the House of Wisdom or Domus sapientiae in Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
9:1. With its archangels standing guard and side-altars dedicated to All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
and All Angels, the entrance and vestibule constitute the Gateway to Heaven or Porta Caeli. The bell tower evokes the Tower of David or Turris Davidica from which one could supposedly see Shechem
Shechem
Shechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as an Israelite city of the tribe of Manasseh and the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel...
(or in the case of Scherpenheuvel Zichem/Sichem). Other such emblems include the Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder is a "ladder to heaven", described by biblical Jacob in the Book of GenesisJacob's Ladder may also refer to:* Ladder of Jacob, a pseudepigraphic text of the Old Testament...
or Scala Jacob, the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
or Arca Testamenti, the Strong City or Urbs Fortitudinis and of course the Closed Garden or Hortus Conclusus
Hortus conclusus
Hortus conclusus is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden". "The word 'garden' is at root the same as the word 'yard'. It means an enclosure", observed Derek Clifford, at the outset of a series of essays on garden design, in which he skirted the conventions of the hortus conclusus...
.
Distinctions granted to the basilica
The statue of the Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel was solemnly crowned by Cardinal DeschampsVictor-Auguste-Isidor Deschamps
Victor Augustin Isidore Dechamps was a Belgian Archbishop of Mechlin, Cardinal and Primate of Belgium....
on behalf of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
on 25 August 1872. Fifty years later, Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
accorded the church the status of a minor basilica on 2 May 1922. On 2 February 2011 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
dedicated that year's Golden Rose
Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection...
to the basilica. It was ceremoniously presented by the papal nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
Mgr. Giacinto Berloco on 15 May.
Traditional devotional practices
The pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
season runs from 1 May to the first week of November. In 2010 almost 1200 groups of pilgrims visited the shrine, with parties traveling from as far as Soest in the Netherlands and Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
in Germany. Over the centuries many parishes or even towns adopted the practice of a collective pilgrimage. Quite a few have survived until today. Probably the best known is De Grote Trek that covers the 57 km from Antwerp to Scherpenheuvel and has been held on every first Sunday of May since 1931. Pilgrims that have made journey on foot 25 or 50 times are traditionally entitled to a special blessing with the statue of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel.
On the Sunday after All Hallows
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
the statue of the Virgin is carried round the basilica in the Kaarkensprocessie or Procession of Candles. It takes its name from the numerous candles that are lit by the faithful as the statue passes by. Every 25 years the crowning of the statue of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel is commemorated with great solemnity in the so called Kroningsfeesten. They were last held in 1997.
Spread of the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel
Even before the official approbation of the cult of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, pilgrims took particles of the oak tree with them as pious souvenirs. Several stories of miracles attributed to the intercession by the Virgin relate of the thaumaturgicThaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is the capability of a saint or magician to work miracles. It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking...
power of this Scherpenheuvel or Montague wood. Following the approbation, Archbishop Hovius ordered the tree to be cut down. It was divided in several parts. Some remained with the sanctuary; one particularly large piece was given to Albert and Isabella. Most of this Montague wood was used to make images of the Virgin Mary. Distributed as gifts among princes, nobles and clergy, they helped to disseminate the cult of Scherpenheuvel.
Quite a few Belgian churches and convents came to possess an image carved in Montague wood. Well known examples remain in the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Antwerp, the Church of St. Hilonius in Izegem
Izegem
Izegem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Izegem proper and the towns of Emelgem and Kachtem. Emelgem was added to Izegem in 1965, Kachtem in 1977. Izegem itself lies on the southern banks of the Mandel, Emelgem and Kachtem on...
and the chapel of the Capuchins in Enghien
Enghien
Enghien is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is 40.59 km² which gives a population density of 295 inhabitants per km²....
. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, the statue of the national patron saint, Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted or Our Lady of Luxembourg, is believed to contain Montague wood. A smallish statue of the Virgin and Child in Montague wood was taken by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite Bourgeoys
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame.- Biography :...
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and stands presently on her tomb in the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel is a church in the district of Old Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. One of the oldest churches in Montreal, it was built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier chapel.St...
.
Some places of worship became closely associated with the cult of Scherpenheuvel. In the vicinity of their château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
of Mariemont
Mariemont, Belgium
Mariemont, also Morlanwelz-Mariemont, now in the municipality of Morlanwelz, Hainaut, Belgium, is a former royal estate and hunting park created in the 16th century by Mary of Hungary, from whom it took its name. The royal residences formerly on the site have long since been destroyed.The estate's...
, Albert and Isabella founded the priory of Montaigu in the present day municipality of Morlanwelz
Morlanwelz
Morlanwelz is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Morlanwelz had a total population of 18,595. The total area is 20.26 km² which gives a population density of 918 inhabitants per km²...
. In the town of Gray
Gray, Haute-Saône
Gray is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France. It has a population of 6,175 inhabitants .-Geography:Gray is situated on the banks of the Saône River...
a statue of the Virgin made out of Montague wood became the object of a regional devotion. Likewise in the Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, the statue donated to the priory of Bellefontaine in Brussey
Brussey
Brussey is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
came to attract many pilgrims. In the proximity of the Spanish Court, the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales obtained an altar dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Monteagudo.
The House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
had a particular devotion for Scherpenheuvel. Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, prince-bishop of Strasbourg, founded a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel in the noviciate of the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at Nancy. After his death in 1607, his sister Antoinette completed the project with an altarpiece depicting the ducal family venerating Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel. The chapel served as the repository of the embalmed hearts of the members of the House of Lorraine until 1720. The cult was also greatly favored by the French Queen Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici
Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
. During her regency, the Discalced Augustinians obtained a statue in Montague wood at their church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. During her exile, she donated one statue in Montague wood to the city council of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and another to the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of the Discalced Carmelites
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
of that city. While serving the Catholic household of her daughter, Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
, the Queen's Chapel
Queen's Chapel
The Queen's Chapel is a Christian chapel in central London, England that was designed by Inigo Jones and built between 1623 and 1625 as an adjunct to St. James's Palace...
of St James's Palace likewise had an altar with a Madonna
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
in Montague wood.