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9-434: The history of the church dates back to 1450, when construction of the east end began. It was built for a female religious community as a collegiate church . Its chapter of canonesses remained in existence until the revolutionary period at the end of the 18th century. The canonesses were typically members of aristocratic houses. Originally it was possible to admit the daughters of chevalier s. The statutes, as approved by

18-424: A site on the west side of the new Covent Garden development. Jones seems to have designed the church with three doors on the east end, leading down steps to the square, and under a grand classical temple portico; inside, the sanctuary and altar were at the opposite west end. However, it appears there were objections to this arrangement, and when the church opened the three doors onto the square were blocked off, and

27-408: Is a concept in the orientation of churches . It refers to the fact that the end of a church which has the altar , for symbolic religious reasons, is traditionally on the east side of the church (to the right in a diagram). Traditionally churches are constructed so that during the celebration of the morning liturgy the priest and congregation face towards the rising sun, a symbol of Christ and

36-498: The Second Coming . However, frequently the building cannot be built to match liturgical direction. In parish churches , liturgical directions often do not coincide with geography ; even in cathedrals , liturgical and geographic directions can be in almost precise opposition (for example, at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle , liturgical east is nearly due west). For convenience, churches are always described as though

45-470: The 18th century. He taught his eldest son François-Joseph Fétis , a famous Belgian musician, who showed talent as an organist from a young age. A large instrument, capable of a wide range of repertoire, the St Waltrude organ was the subject of a major restoration at the beginning of the 21st century involving Klais Orgelbau . Official website Liturgical east Liturgical east and west

54-666: The Empress, were made stricter in the 18th century as regards the requirement for the canonesses to prove their noble status. Afterwards the building became a parish church. The exterior of the church is a fine example of Brabantine Gothic architecture, parts are built by Matheus de Layens . However, in the 17th century the works stopped and the building was never completely finished. The interior contains important artworks, including sculptures by Jacques du Broeucq and paintings by Peter Paul Rubens , Floris de Vriendt , Theodoor van Thulden , Otto Venius and Michiel Coxie . Inside

63-458: The church important graves can be found amongst them Antoine de Carondelet and Alice of Namur The church's original instrument was lost and at the beginning of the 19th century the present one was acquired. It originally belonged to an abbey and dates from the late 17th century. Both the old and the current organs were associated with the Fetis family. Antoine-Joseph Fetis was titular organist in

72-404: The end with the main altar is at the east, whatever the reality, with the other ends and sides described accordingly. Therefore common terms such as "east end", "west door", "north aisle" etc are immediately comprehensible. These orientations may be preceded by "liturgical", or not. In a typical Western church, such as the one illustrated, the "back" of the church is therefore the west end, and as

81-551: The visitor moves up the aisle towards the main altar the north side is to the left, and the south to the right. A relatively unusual example of a church where the correct liturgical orientation was regarded as important, and overrode architectural considerations, is St Paul's, Covent Garden in London, of 1631, by Inigo Jones . This was the first completely new English church since the English Reformation , and given

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