Former Saint James chapel - Kalmthout - Belgium
Posted by: eilers1
N 51° 23.686 E 004° 28.448
31U E 602556 N 5694757
Former Saint James chapel. Since about 1625 starting place for Dutch pilgrims for their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. From here they had to walk 2.150 km, as the monument says.
Waymark Code: WM116W9
Location: Antwerpen, Belgium
Date Posted: 08/27/2019
Views: 3
From 1488 until 1957 the Sint-Jacobskapel (in English Saint James Chapel) stood in the heart of Kalmthout, on the triangular Franconian village square. The chapel was initially dedicated to the first patron of Kalmthout, Saint-Christopher. At the time Dutch pilgrims used the chapel as starting place for their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella the name changed into Sint-Jacobskapel. The chapel was destroyed twice: the first time in 1542, the second time in 1583, together with the main church in the center of the village. Until 1642, the reconstructed Sint-Jacobskapel subsequently served as parish church.
The chapel was spared until the Second World War. In 1944 it was severely damaged and the roof covering largely knocked away. Although the wounds were not that dramatic, the necessary recovery was nevertheless left behind so that the building slowly crumbled until in 1957 only a mess remained. At that moment the chapel was demolished.
Now the contours of the chapel are visible in the street work.
On the Sint Jacobsplaats there is also a statue called the pilgrim. There is also a clock tower.
It contains a unique clock, which was donated in 1599 by Pieter III van der Gheyn.
(source: Kalmthout te Kijk - historical and nostalgic book, Ronny Neys, 1991)
Country: Belgium
Type of Waymark: Monument
Way of St. James identification: Symbol & Name
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