Beguinage till nowadays..
In later centuries, various alterations were made to the houses in the Beguinage; in the 17th and 18th centuries the wooden façades were changed, though 18 houses do still have their gothic wooden frame. Some houses, too, have been demolished and rebuilt as, for instance, the gatehouse leading to the Spui (1907), and the presbytery (1915).
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Laying of the foundation-stone
for the porch to the Spui, |
At the restoration of the Beguinage (1984-1987), the courtyard was renovated and some houses enlarged.
The occupancy of the houses changed as well. On 23 May 1971, Sister Antonia, the last Beguine, died, 84 years old. She was buried in the cemetery of St Barbara, where the Beguines had had a common grave of their own since 1893. So, since 1971, the Beguinage is no longer a beguinage in the strict sense of the word.
The chapel, too, has undergone many changes. It was extended considerably to the right and the Beguines were given their own side chapel on the left. The façade was renewed and accessibility improved by building a porch. The interior of the chapel also underwent various changes in respect to the paintings, lamps, tabernacle, statues, and also windows. | |
Chapel of the Beguinage in the present state. |
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