Right in the center of Ghent, you’ll find the majestic Saint Bavo’s cathedral which intrigues visitors from afar, even if it was for all the mystery that evolves around the missing panel of the famous altarpiece “Righteous judges”.
From church to cathedral
The current church dates back to early 16th century. However, there was already a church on the same grounds since the year 942, consecrated to Saint John the Baptist, followed by a Romanesque church in the 12th century,
When in 1536, the Saint Bavo’s abbey was dissolved by orders of Emperor Charles V, the abbot and monks were secularized and given the title of canon. Their chapter transferred to Saint John’s Church, which from then on was called Saint Bavo’s Church.
In 1559, the dioceses of Ghent was established, by which the church became the Saint Bavo’s Cathedral.
The Ghent altarpiece “Lamb of God”
Initially started by Hubert Van Eyck and finished by his brother Jan Van Eyck, the painting of the altarpiece was enthrusted to the Cathedral in 1432. It exists of 12 different panels, each having their own name and scenery. Currently staying in the chapel of Sacrament, the altarpiece’s history is one of intrigues and theft.
The lower left panel, displaying the “Just judges”, or also called the “Righteous judges”, is still missing up to this day. You will currently only be able to see a copy of this panel in the Saint Bavo’s cathedral. It was stolen during the night of 10th of April, 1934, possibly by the Belgian Arsène Goedertier. On the panel was left a note in French, stating that the painting was taken from Berlin by the treaty of Versailles. This is a reference to the stealing of the painting by the Germans in World War 1, which you can see in the movie “The Monuments Men” with famous actors like, George Clooney. Matt Damon and Bill Murray.
Ransom money was demanded and in total there were 11 letters of correspondance between the thief and the government, which led to the goodwill of the thief by returning one of the two panels parts, with Saint John the Baptist.
On his deathbed, the self proclamed thief Arsène stated that he would take the location of the “Righteous judges” panel to his grave. The only clue he gave was found in the drawer of his bedroom, with the words “It rests in a place where neither I, nor anybody else, can take it away without arousing the attention of the public.”. Over the years several expensive searches have been performed all around the city of Ghent and up to this day, there is still officially one officer dedicated to the theft of this altarpiece.
Inside the Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
The cathedral gives a smaller impression from the outside, but holds some surprises inside. Different chapels are built and you can even find a souvenir shop. On occasion, there are choirs filling the halls with warmth and love. A part from the “Lamb of God”, there are a lot of other artworks to admire. Enjoy some of the photos we made inside. For the full album, you can always check out our Instagram page.
