The first nuclear settlement of Leuven

In 1236, the Augustinian monks arrived in Leuven and settled down beside a Chapel to Saint John the Baptist. The saint, was popularly worshipped by fishermen who were living and selling their fish by the arm of the Dijle river here on the Vismarkt (Fish Market). Archaeological evidence state that this spot could be the first nuclear settlement of Leuven.

To get the monks going, the Duchess of Brabant Aleidis of Burgundy, gave the monks the chapel and Pope Clement IV gave his official blessing. More gifts arrived from the Duchess and the monastery grew so rich that it now occupied all the land that stretches to the city wall (current-day Karel van Lotharingenstraat). By 1447, with the founding of the Leuven University, the University took over the running of the monastery.

In 1589, the monastery established on its grounds the Augustinian College for students from all over the Southern Netherlands (present-day Belgium). This college stretched along the Vaartstraat from Vissersstraat. In 1612, the monks also organised secondary education here, which lasted until 1741.

The Madonna of Leuven

The rich Augustinian monks commissioned a painting called the Madonna of Leuven by Renaissance painter, Jan Gossaert. The painting was presented to the King Philip of Spain in 1588. It can now be viewed in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The French Invaders

Calamity befell the monastery with the arrival of the French Revolution (and the French).
In 1796, the French authorities shut down the monastery, forcibly removed its 24 remaining monks. They shipped the church treasures and all the previous manuscripts stored in its library to Brussels, and sold the buildings and land in open sale.

In 1801, a certain Mr Pierlet got help from outside Leuven to break down the 600 year-old church, because Leuven residents refused to allow him. He then sold off all the precious stone carvings and woodwork.

“The Brotherhood of the Sacrament of Miracle” by Wolfgang de Smet

Today, in Leuven’s M Museum, you can view this magnificent gigantic painting that measures 2.5 by 3.5 metres. This painting used to hang in the Augustinian Monastery of Leuven. Called the “The Brotherhood of the Sacrament of Miracle” (De broederschap van het Sacrament van Mirakel), it was most likely painted by Leuven painter Wolfgang de Smet around 1639.

The centre of the object of adoration which you can see on the right is a silver reliquary, which held a relic called the “Sacrament of Miracle” (Het Sacrament van Mirakel). This relic truly existed at the Augustinian Monastery since 1380 and was an important highly protected one too.

The story of the Sacrament of Miracle goes like this: Normally, believers in the Catholic Christian religion are obliged to first confess their sins before they receive communion. In 1374, a certain Jan van Keulen in the Zeeland town of Middelburg was said to have received communion without confession, on the first Sunday of Lent. He immediately became blind and the host (the Communion wafer) turned into a piece of bleeding flesh in his mouth! That year, the Archbishop of Cologne had the miraculous wafer-turned-flesh host brought to Cologne, and had it placed in the city’s Augustinian church there. In 1380, the Augustinians of Leuven managed to procure half of the meat, and it became the centre of attraction for believers.

Not just anybody could worship this piece of meat, now known as the “Sacrament of Miracle“. To make it more exclusive, a religious association called the Brotherhood of the Sacrament of Miracle (De broederschap van het Sacrament van Mirakel) was set up around it. The leaders of the brotherhood were elected among the notables of Leuven and appointed by the Prior of the Augustijnenklooster. Members of the brotherhood had to closely guard the relic and organise its veneration, including the provision of candles and pilgrimage pennants, and the organisation of processions and ceremonies. Naturally, the membership fees of the brotherhood were not affordable to most citizens of Leuven.

In 1639, the Brotherhood of the Sacrament of Miracle commissioned three paintings to illustrate the history of the relic:

• The miracle in Middelburg
• The solemn transfer of the relic to Leuven
• The adoration of the relic in the Augustinian Monastery of Leuven

It was this painting that features the group portrait of the six masters of the brotherhood, dressed in black with a torch in their hands.

Under the French occupation, with the closure of the Augustijnenklooster, both the painting and the relic were transferred to the Sint-Jacobskerk on the Brusselsestraat.

The gothic silver reliquary (supposedly with the mummified flesh) went missing and was replaced in the 19th century with a copy that tried to mirror the one depicted in the painting.

The painting itself was stolen from the Sint-Jacobskerk around 1900s. It only turned up in 2003 at a restorer’s who quickly alerted the authorities. Because of this, Leuven was able to recuperate this priceless painting that used to hang in the opulent Augustijnenklooster.

On the painting, you can tell how rich and ornate the Augustijnenklooster was.

Today, the painting of “The Brotherhood of the Sacrament of Miracle” is one of the prized collections of the M Museum.

The Richest and Most Impressive Abbey of Leuven

You can witness the size of this place by simply walking the streets that used to surround the monastery and college.

It must have been the most impressive monastery and church in Leuven back then.

Vissersstraat used to be called the Augustijnengang. It used to be the main entrance to the church and monastery.

The former college was situated on the Vaartstraat.

The modern-day Augustijnenstraat, although named after the monastery, was a small nameless alley in the 17th century used by the locals to get to the Vismarkt (fish market).

Nothing from the majestic monastery and college has remained. There are however archaeological remains on Vaartstraat numbers 33, 39 and 41-45, on Vismarkt numbers 11-16. Karel van Lotharingenstraat number 25 by far retains the most feature of the original building.

Sources:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustijnerklooster_(Leuven) [Photos: Creative Commons]
https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/100958
https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/125402
https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/125347