Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula

In front of you stands the most important church in Brussels, on a hill overlooking the lower town. The year 2026 marks eight centuries since work began on the Gothic choir, started in 1226 under Duke Henry II of Brabant.

1Two saints for one city

There was already a church dedicated to St Michael here when, in 1047, Count Lambert II of Leuven brought to it the relics of St Gudula, a deeply venerated local saint. Ever since, the church has carried both names. St Michael, slayer of the dragon, is also the city’s patron: you’ll spot him again on top of the Town Hall tower.

2Three centuries of building

Construction moved slowly. The towers of the west front went up around 1470–1485 and are attributed to Jan van Ruysbroeck, the same master who built the Town Hall tower. They never received their planned spires, hence their straight silhouette. The church only became a cathedral in 1962, sharing that rank with Mechelen. Royal weddings have been held here, including that of Baudouin and Fabiola in 1960 and of Philippe and Mathilde in 1999.

In 2026 the cathedral installed new plaques acknowledging as antisemitic the legend told in its “Sacrament of Miracle” windows.

Those nineteenth-century windows tell of the 1370 accusation against Jews of Brussels, which ended in executions. Today the Church presents it as a baseless accusation.

3What to look for

• The two truncated towers, without spires.
• The great central window, standing in for a rose window.
• The flight of steps, which climbs the slope of the hill.