Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church, the great storybook of Mons
Gothic architecture, Renaissance alabasters and the Car d'Or: a church that sheds light on the city's arts and traditions.
A building project spanning generations
Construction of Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church began in 1450 and continued into the 17th century. Once owned by the canonesses, this late Gothic building accompanies several chapters of Mons history. Its Latin-cross plan, tall stained-glass windows and chapels call for a step back before turning to details. Jacques Du Brœucq's Renaissance works and windows donated by the Habsburgs add other artistic languages to the architecture. The collegiate church also remains a place of worship: its dual character, historic and living, is part of its appeal.
The absent tower and the dispersed rood screen
Two stories invite a different look. The great planned tower was never completed: the absence itself is a trace of the building project. Inside, Du Brœucq's alabaster sculptures and reliefs partly come from a vast Renaissance rood screen dismantled during the revolutionary period. The surviving fragments are therefore more than beautiful isolated objects; they help imagine a vanished monumental composition. The Car d'Or, a processional vehicle made in 1780–1781, recalls the link between the church and the ritual Ducasse of Mons.
Visiting attentively and arriving by train
The collegiate church website and VisitMons listing detail current arrangements. Visiting the building, the Treasury and taking a guided tour should not be confused: check what is open and book the guidance you want. Services may limit access to the choir. Mons SNCB station is nearby; then walk to place du Chapitre, uphill towards the old centre. If slopes or steps are difficult, ask about accessible entry before setting out. A visit to the Musée du Doudou usefully extends the links between objects seen and the festival.
Photos and credits
Photo 1 — Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church in Mons, photographed in May 2022. FrDr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source.
Photo 2 — Eastern side of Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church, September 2018. Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · CC BY 4.0 · Source.
Photo 3 — The Car d'Or in Mons, historic photograph from 2005. Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source.
