St. Salvius Church

Limbricht, Netherlands

The oldest mural paintings in the Netherlands are hidden in a beautiful church on the outskirts of Sittard-Geleen. It might be somewhat confusing that there are two churches with the same name in the same village, but you can probably skip the new church in the centre that was built in 1922. The church replaced the ancient one at the castle, which you definitely shouldn't miss if you're in the region.

The history of the old Salviuskerk can be traced back to the late 10th century, but all that remains of the original church hall is the northern wall made of boulders from the River Meuse. Over the centuries, the church was enlarged several times and the tower was erected in 1458. During a restoration in 1977, murals from around 1300 were found. The paintings have been restored and after almost two years of tremendous efforts, which included the stripping of at least 20 layers of lime paint, are now on display. The paintings depict a Mary-themed cycle with portrayals of the childhood of Christ, the coronation of Mary and the salvation. Another sacred item found in this church is a box that supposedly contains pieces of Saint Salvius' bones.

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Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Religious sites in Netherlands

More Information

www.visitsittardgeleen.com

Rating

5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

AgnesSapta Hukkelhoven (2 years ago)
Peacefull
Peter van den Heuvel (4 years ago)
This church was built in 1922 and replaced the old St. Salvius Church, which was preserved despite the fact that it was withdrawn from worship. Architects were Pierre Cuypers Jr. and Jos Cuypers. The church was made of irregular blocks of Nivelsteiner sandstone, and a traditionalist, neo-Romanesque style was used. To the right of the front facade is a large square tower, covered by a tent roof. It is a three-aisled basilical church with a nine-sided apse. On the south side there is an eight-sided baptistery. The nave and side aisles are covered with barrel vaults. Round-arched arches separate the nave and side aisles. The main altar dates from 1922, an altar stone embedded in it dates from the 16th century. The base and drum of the baptismal font are 12th century. The font itself has been renewed. From the first quarter of the 16th century is a wooden triptych in the style of the Master of Elsloo. There is a polychromed wooden pieta from the 16th century. Jan van Steffeswert made a wooden statue of Saint Barbara. There is a polychromed statue of Mary from around 1600. A polychromed statue of Saint Salvius dates from the fourth quarter of the 17th century. A gilded wooden statue of Mary is from the first half of the 18th century. A statue of Saint Joseph dates from the fourth quarter of the 18th century. The stained glass windows are from the Nicolas studio. The church has twelve paintings from the 17th, 18th and the first quarter of the 19th century. The offering block is from 1655 and bears the text: O Gott bedenck den poor. Near the church is the Sacred Heart statue.
Ed Aussems (8 years ago)
Grote kerk ⛪ in het centrum van Limbricht. Mooi centraal gelegen.
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