Evening in Ghent by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Evening in Ghent"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

Ghent is the capital and largest centre city of the Belgian province of East Flanders.

Ghent grew out of Celtic settlements in the area of the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers. In the Middle Ages, driven by a flourishing wool industry, Ghent grew into one of the largest cities in Europe. The flax and linen industry and the staple right to grain that Ghent acquired also contributed significantly to its prosperity. After a brief Calvinist period, the city experienced a certain decline that only turned around towards the end of the 18th century, when the cotton industry made Ghent one of the first industrial cities in continental Europe. The city saw the signing of the Pacification of Ghent (1576) and the Peace of Ghent (1814).

St Nicholas Church is a church in the Belgian city of Ghent, on Korenmarkt. The church building is dedicated to Nicholas of Myra and a good example of Scheldt Gothic architecture. Unique is the crossing tower, more specifically a lantern tower, which illuminates the transept and, for the Low Countries, the air arches of the main choir. The tower has a height of 76 metres. Originally, a Romanesque church from around 1100 stood here. Building this church was an initiative of St Peter's Abbey. St Bavo's Abbey then decided to build St Michael's Church on the right bank of the Lys. A first building burned down in 1120, a second one was demolished after 1200. From the 12th century onwards, St Nicholas' Church was further built and rebuilt in pieces.

Ghent's belfry is a 95-metre-high belfry tower in the centre of the Belgian city of Ghent. The tower is the middle tower of Ghent's famous tower row, along with St Nicholas' Church and St Bavo's Cathedral. Against the belfry is also the Ghent Cloth Hall.