My Early Happy Weekend Picture from a very old lady taken in Antwerp, Belgium

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It is no secret that I love Antwerp. That city located near the Scheldt in the
Flamish region of Belgium, really has everything: special shops, nice restaurants
and a lot of historical buildings.

One of the most beautiful buildings according to me is the Cathedral of Our Lady.
It also is listed at the list of the World Heritage Sites.

Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady Belgium
Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp, Belgium


Some history


Of course this building has a great history. It was built between 1352 and
1521, so 170 years of construction works...

But then in 1533 a large fire took place. In 1566 protestants destroyed a
big part of the interior during the Iconoclasm. In 1585 Antwerp came 
again under Roman Catholic Authority.

That wasn't the end of its misery. In 1794 French Revolutionaries who
conquered the region, plundered the cathedral again. Finally between
1965 and 1993 a complete renovation took place. So the cathedral can
shine again over its city: Antwerp.

Some facts

The tower is 404 ft high, it is the highest church tower in the Benelux!

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor commented that the spire should be
kept under glass.

Even Napoleon Bonaparte compared the spire with Mechlin lace.

Some literature 

Inside there are some major works of the painter: Peter Paul Rubens.
In the 19th century novel: A Dog of Flanders, written by Ouida, a poor
boy called Nello and his dog Patrasche visited the cathedral to see the
painting of Rubens. This story is very famous in Japan and this is why
many Japanese tourists visit the cathedral.
Location: Antwerp, Belgium

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