Neerjise (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Neerijse, workers are repairing the historic Church of Saints Peter and Paul’s roof using old methods. The Flemish government covers 70% of the costs; Mayor Vangoidtsenhoven supports it.
As VRT News stated, in the small village of Neerijse in the Flemish Brabant province of Belgium, labourers are repairing the roof of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The Neerijse Church of Saints Peter and Paul has long required an adequate roof repair.
According to officials, now, with subsidies from the Flemish government, the roof can be fixed the right way. This new support comes on top of a previous €175,000 grant given for the first phase of the work.
What is being done to restore the historic church in Neerijse?
Mayor Danny Vangoidtsenhoven (Open VLD) is glad that the church restoration can now begin. He says it is important to protect the building for the future. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul has special Romanesque features. He mentioned that it is still used for church services today. Even during the repairs, the church stays open. People from the village and visitors can come in to pray or look at the art.
For the last 20 years, a temporary layer has been covering the church’s roof instead of the original natural slate. The original roof had become dilapidated, and water had started to leak in. To stop more damage, emergency fixes were done several times. But these were not long-term solutions. The building kept getting older and more fragile.
The church has been in the village for an extensive period of time. It has 2 towers of rough, sandy limestone. The towers are 12th-century buildings with a round, solid shape, and the stone has a warm brown colour. The nave of the church, where the congregation sits, was added much later, probably in the 19th century.
There is a very old organ in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It was built by the Loret family, who made numerous organs in the 1800s. Because it is old and still being used for church music, people regard this organ as a very valuable treasure. The church roof is now being repaired. Workers use old tools and materials to match the style of the past.
