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Notre-Dame du Sablon

The Stolen Miraculous Virgin Mary

The Notre-Dame du Sablon is located in the Sablon region of Brussels. This Gothic church has its origins in the 13th century and is famous for a statue of the Virgin Mary that came by boat from Antwerp, as well as carvings, windows, and Baroque chapels.

The streets of the Sablon region of Brussels are filled with countless cafes and antique stores, among them stands a Brabantine Gothic Church, the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon (Église Notre-Dame du Sablon).

The Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon has its origins in the 13th century, when legend has it that a devotee set out from Antwerp, Belgium, and brought a statue of the Virgin Mary to Sablon by boat through a series of miraculous events. Inside the Bright Church Nave, there is also a statue of Virgin Mary in a boat.

Manywhere Trivia:
The statue of the Virgin Mary was actually STOLEN from Antwerp and preserved in Brussels for two hundred years before it was destroyed in the 16th century.

The church’s Religious Frescoes on the Main Altar was created in the 15th century, and the rest of the area is entirely occupied by stained glass windows. Two Baroque Chapels on both sides of the altar are dedicated to Princess St. Ursula and St. Marcouf, who cured tuberculosis.

To the northwest and southeast of the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon lies the twin squares of Grand Sablon and Petit Sablon. In 1890, Petit Sablon, the Small Sablon Square was transformed into a street garden with a fountain and 48 statues of figures, a perfect location for admiring the Notre-Dame du Sablon from across the street.