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Church · Antuérpia, Antuérpia
Sint-Pauluskerk
Dominican church on Veemarkt, near the old port, with paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens and, in the side courtyard, a Baroque Calvary with 63 life-size statues.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Sint-Pauluskerk
Sint-Pauluskerk is on Veemarkt, a few blocks from the River Escalda. The Dominicans settled there in the 13th century. Because flooding from the river threatened the first church, a new one was begun in 1548 and consecrated in 1571. From the outside the building is Gothic; the tower received a Baroque finish after a fire in 1679.
The interior is heavily decorated with marble and carved wood. Rubens appears on more than one altar: The Dispute of the Blessed Sacrament in the Sacrament chapel, and The Adoration of the Shepherds in the Mary chapel. In the north aisle, a series of fifteen paintings on the Mysteries of the Rosary brings together painters of the period, including Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens.
On the outside, attached to the south nave, is the Calvary: a garden set up between 1697 and 1747 with 63 life-size statues and nine reliefs, a popular staging of angels, prophets and saints sculpted by Michiel van der Voort, the Elder, Alexander van Papenhoven and Jan Claudius de Cock.
The church endured wars, lootings and fires. In 1968 a fire destroyed the roof and the upper part of the tower. Restoration took years, and the church returned to holding masses and receiving visitors.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
45 minutes to an hour, including the Calvary.
Best time
Visit outside Mass times and confirm the days and opening hours before you go. On a clear day, light enters well through the nave windows and helps to see the paintings.
How to get there
It's about 300 metres north of the Grote Markt, on the route between the historic centre and the Eilandje neighbourhood. The Baroque entrance is on the corner of Veemarkt and Zwartzustersstraat.
Tip
Don't miss the Calvary in the courtyard beside the church: many people leave without seeing it. The Sint-Pauluskerk is on the walking route between the Grote Markt and the MAS, so you can fit the visit into the same walk.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Sint-Pauluskerk
Which works by Rubens are in the Sint-Pauluskerk?
The Dispute of the Blessed Sacrament and The Adoration of the Shepherds, as well as a painting in the series of the Mysteries of the Rosary, alongside works by Van Dyck and Jordaens.
What is the Calvary of the Sint-Pauluskerk?
A garden attached to the church with 63 life-size statues and nine reliefs, assembled between 1697 and 1747.