Sint-Jacobskerk

Sint-Jacobskerk stands in Antwerp on the site of a medieval hostel for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela. A chapel served those travellers before becoming a parish church in 1476, while the present building rose between 1491 and 1656. Its Brabantine Gothic exterior shows pointed arches and strong vertical lines, while the interior carries one of Belgium’s best-preserved Baroque ensembles.

The church holds 24 altars, marble furnishings, carved choir stalls from the late seventeenth century, and a pulpit made by Lodewijk Willemsens in 1675. A Forceville choir organ from 1727 retains its original mechanical action, alongside a Romantic grand organ built by Anneessens in 1884. More than 1,300 graves and records of over 4,500 burials fill the church, including private chapels created by Antwerp’s wealthy families.

Peter Paul Rubens lies in the church beneath a painting he created himself, with his chapel on the eastern side near the main altar. His marriage to Hélène Fourment took place here in 1630, linking the building’s art and architecture to one of Antwerp’s most celebrated painters.

City: Antwerp
Content updated: 2026-06-22

Image: Lieven Smits CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: User:Sixtus CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Michiel van der VoortPublic domain
Image: Carolus CC BY 4.0
Image: Jacob JordaensPublic domain

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