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St. Gertrude's. LOUVAIN. 24. Route. 243
finely embroidered vestments from the abbey of St. Gertrude, and
three reliquaries of St. James, St. Margaret, and St. Hubert (14th
and 45th cent.). — In front of the N. side of the church is a bronze
statue, by C. Meunier (1893), of Father Damien (Joseph de Veuster ;
440-89), the missionary to the lepers on the Island of Molokai.
The Rue de Malines (Pl. B, 2, 1) leads to the N. from the Place
des Bouchers, on the N.W. side of the church of St. Pierre, to the
Porte de Malines. A few paces to the right, about halfway to the
gate, is the Gothic church of St. Gertrude (P1.5; B, 1, 2), erected
in the 14th cent., with the exception of the choir, which was added
in 1485-89, and the lofty tower built by Jan van Ruysbroeck in
4453. The choir-stalls, embellished with statuettes and 28 reliefs of
scenes from the lives of theSaviour, St. Augustine, and St. Gertrude,
are amongst the finest specimens of late-Gothic wood-carving in
Belgium; they were executed by Mathias de Wayer of Brussels
(ca. 1550). The bands of ornamentation in the Renaissance style
are particularly pleasing (panelling at the back modern). In the
right aisle is a triptych (Crucifixion) by M. Cozie. (Sacristan at
No. 20, near the principal portal.)
Portions of the former ramparts of Louvain have been converted into
promenades. The old castle of the counts and dukes of Brabant (p. 239)
once stood on the Mont César (Pl. B, 1; fine view), an eminence near the
Porte de Malines, now crowned by a colossal statue of the Madonna and
by a Ben s conyent. Tradition ascribes its original construction to
The Emp. Charles V. and his sisters were educated in
this castle by the learned Adriaen Florisz, afterwards Pope Adrian VI. —
Another picturesque view may be obtained from the height to the S.W.
of the Porte de Malin
The Premonstratensian Abbaye de Parc (Pl. D, 5) may be reached in
12 min. from the Porte de Parc (P].C,4; admission on application). The
i in 1129, dissolved during the Revolution, and revived in
affords a good example of a large monastic establishment. The first
court is surrounded by the offices and farm-buildings; the second by the
dwellings of the canons. The interior contains handsome rooms in the
style of Louis XV., embellished with pictures by Er. Quellin, Verhaghen,
Duplessis, J. Coxie (in the abbots lodging), etc.; in the church are
paintings by Verhaghen and carved wood-work; and the library and
archives are inte ting also.
Heéverlé (P]. A, 5), the fine park and chateau of the Duc d’Arenberg
situated on the Dyle, 3/4 M. to the W. of the rail. station mentioned
may be reached in 1/4hr. from the Porte de Namur (Pl. B A) by the
Avenue du Chateau. The chateau, dating from the beginning of the 16th cent.,
contains a large library (50,000 vols., including some rare incunabula).
Steam Tramways ply from Louvain vid (2 M.) Héverlé (see below) and
(401/2M.) Beauvechain (p. 237) to Jodoigne (p. 237; 18 M., in 13/s lir.); via
Héverlé and Vossem to Tervueren(p 147; 14 M., in 11/4 hr.); and via Winghe-
Saint-Georges to Diest (p. 209; 17 M., in about 18/4 hr.).
25. From Louvain to Charleroi.
Ai M. Rar~wayx in 21/23 hrs. (fares 6 fr. 30, 4 fr. 30, 2 fr. 50 c.).
Louvain, see p. 238. — The line passes several places memorable
in the campaign of 1815. To the left, before reaching (21/) M.)
Héverlé, we pass the Abbaye de Parc (see above); to the right, the
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