Собор Святого Румбольда в Мехелене: История и Архитектура

Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium

St. Rumbold's Cathedral (Sint Romboutskathedraal, ) is the Roman Catholic metropolitan archiepiscopal cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium, dedicated to Saint Rumbold, Christian missionary and martyr who founded an abbey nearby. His remains are rumoured to be buried inside the cathedral. State of the art examination of the relics honoured as Saint Rumbold's and kept in a shrine in the retro choir, showed a life span of about 40 years and a death date between 580 and 655, while tradition had claimed 775 AD. In 1999, the tower of the cathedral was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, in recognition of its architecture and its importance in civic duties such as a watchtower.

Construction of the church itself started shortly after 1200, and it was consecrated in 1312, when part had become usable. From 1324 onwards the flying buttresses and revised choir structure acquired Brabantine Gothic characteristics, distinct from French Gothic. After the city fire of 1342, the Master Mason Jean d'Oisy managed repairs and continued this second phase, which by the time of his death in 1375 formed the prototype for that High Gothic style. His successors finished the vaults of the nave by 1437, and those of the choir by 1451. During the final phase of 1452–1520, the tower was erected, financed by pilgrims and later by its proprietor, the city. Designed to reach 600 Mechlinian feet or about 167 metres, higher than any church tower would ever attain (Ulm Minster has measured 161 metres since the 19th century), the very heavy St. Rumbold's tower was built on what had once been wetlands, though with foundations only three metres deep its site appears to have been well chosen. After a few years, in 1454, its chief architect Andries I Keldermans constructed the Saint Livinus' Monster Tower (or St. Lievensmonstertoren as it is called in Dutch) in Zierikzee (in the present day Netherlands), where leaning or sagging of the tower (now 62 metres but designed for ca. 130) could wreck the church. This concern led to fully separate edifices, a solution also applied in Mechelen. At both places, in the early 16th century the upper part of the tower was abandoned, not for technical but for financial reasons. St Rumbold's should have been topped by a 77 metre spire but only seven metres of this were built, hence the unusual shape. A deliberately weak connection closed the gap between tower and church upon finishing the construction.

The church has functioned as a cathedral since 1559. In the 18th century, each capital's surrounding ornament of sculpted cabbage leaves, that had been an inspiration for numerous Brabantine Gothic churches, was replaced with a double ring of crops. In 2005, after engineers had figured out the support capacity of ground and tower, there was talk of completing the entire spire from the original drawings.

The tower contains 49 bells and only the largest bells swing, which are still in working order. The weights of the bells range from 16 kg to the most notable bell; the bourdon Salvator, which strikes the hours and weighs 8 tons. Up to 1923, the cathedral had 18 bell ringers prior to electricity taking over. Thirty nine steps above this instrument, there is a second complete carillon on which concerts are played during the summer months.

The cathedral has two organs. The main organ on the reverse side of the west facade was built in 1957 by organ builder Stevens. On the reverse of the side facade is a smaller organ, installed there in 1919 by the same organ builder Stevens. This instrument has 30 stops on two manual keyboards and pedalboard.

St. Rumbold's was the venue for the 2008 wedding of Count Rodolphe de Limburg Stirum to Archduchess Marie Christine of Austria, daughter of Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg.

In 1985, on his 65th birthday, Pope John Paul II celebrated a Mass at St. Rumbold's. Jo Haazen, then the city's carillon player, heard him state: "Your tower is not complete."