⛪ Saint Bavo's Cathedral (Ghent)
Belgium
About This Sacred Site
Saint Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) in Ghent is most famous as the home of the Ghent Altarpiece (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in 1432 and widely considered one of the most important and influential paintings in Western art history. The Gothic cathedral also houses works by Rubens and other Flemish masters, a Romanesque crypt, and a Baroque marble high altar. Emperor Charles V was baptized here in 1500.
Key Facts
- •Houses the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by the Van Eyck brothers — one of the most important artworks in history
- •The altarpiece has been the most stolen artwork in the world, taken seven times
- •Emperor Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, was baptized in the cathedral in 1500
- •The Romanesque crypt dates to the 12th century
- •Also houses Rubens' painting The Conversion of Saint Bavo
Location
Coordinates: 51.0533, 3.7271
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