Saint Columba’s Church

Altarpiece of Saint Columba

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Kerkplein 25, Deerlijk

The lives of saints were rarely a bed of roses, and that of the Spanish Columba is no exception. It did, however, result in unique art such as this amazing altarpiece in Deerlijk.

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Saint Columba’s Church

This is the only church in Flanders dedicated to Columba. The original Romanesque church was initially rebuilt in late Gothic style. At the end of the 18th century it was renovated in Classicism style by the renowned master builder Laurent-Benoît Dewez. The simple three-aisled hall church with its octagonal, pointed tower was damaged during the two world wars but was subsequently repaired. The tower, southern transept and part of the chancel of the old Romanesque oratory still remain.

Altarpiece of Saint Columba

This remarkable showpiece depicts in ten scenes the life and martyrdom of the Spanish Saint Columba, who lived during the 3rd century and after her death was invoked against eye diseases and to pray for rain. The 16th century wooden and polychromed altarpiece, probably originating from a Kortrijk workshop, was originally displayed in the Sint-Columbakapel (Saint Columba’s Chapel), a pilgrimage site built alongside the church but now no longer there. In the 1980s the altarpiece was restored by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage in Brussels.

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