Description of the attraction
Cathedral of the Savior, the main Catholic church in the city of Bruges, is one of the few local buildings that have been well preserved to this day. Although during its existence, that is, from the middle of the XIII century - the time when it was built on the site of two earlier churches, much in its appearance has changed. The Cathedral of the Holy Savior has suffered from devastating fires more than once, but every time it was restored by the faithful townspeople.
This church did not originally have the status of a cathedral. She received it only in the 19th century. Since the 10th century, the Church of Saint Salvator has been a parish church. In those days, the Cathedral of St. Donatus, which was located in the heart of Bruges, was the main religious building of the city. At the end of the 18th century, the French invaders expelled the local bishop from the city and destroyed the Cathedral of St. Donatus, which was the main one in his diocese.
In 1834, shortly after Belgium gained independence in 1830, a new bishop appeared in Bruges, and the Church of St. Salvator received the status of a cathedral and became known as the Cathedral of the Savior. True, the appearance of the temple did not at all correspond to the new splendid status. The church was low and small, so they decided to rebuild it. The easiest way to add grandeur to the temple was to build a tall, impressive tower. It was built on the foundation of the 12th century. The superstructure of the tower was made in the Romanesque style by the English architect Robert Chantrell. To make the bell tower even higher, he crowned it with a spire, which caused criticism and discontent of ordinary citizens.
The Cathedral of the Holy Savior contains many works of art brought here from the destroyed Cathedral of St. Donat.
