Fergusson, James: A history of architecture in all countries, from the earliest times to the present day: in five volumes (Band 2) (London, 1893)

192

BELGIAN ABCIIITECTUEE.

Part II.

676. Seotion of Central Portion of Church at Tournay,
looking South. Scale 50 ft. to 1 in.

Besicles the churches already described, there are a considerable

number in Belgium
belonging to the llth
century, such as St.
Bartholomew at Liège ;
St. Servin’s, Maestricht ;
the church at Ruremonde
(almost an exact counter-
part of the Apostles’
Church at Cologne), and
others of more or less
importance scattered over
the country. They almost
all possess the peculiarity
of having no entrance in
their west fronts, but
have instead a massive
screen or frontispiece
surmounted by two or
three towers. This was
the arrangement of the
oid church of St. Jacques
at Liège. The church of
ISTotre Dame cle Maes-
tricht presents a some-
what exaggerated exam-
ple of this description of
front (Wooclcut No. 677).
It is difficult to explain
the origin of this feature,
nor have we any reason
to regret its abandon-
ment. There can be no
cloubt that the proper
place for the principal
entrance to a church is
the encl opposite the
altar, where this screen
preventecl its being
placed.

Among the smaller
antiquities of this age,
none are perhaps more
interesting than the little chapel of St. Sang, at Bruges, built by
Thierry of Alsace, on his return fromthe Holy Lancl, a.d. 1150; it is a

West Front of Notre Dame de Maestricht.
(From Scbayes’ ‘ Belgium.’)