Chièvres – Our Lady of the Fountain

Between Brussels and Lille, in the province of Hainaut, lies the town of Chièvres. In the centre of the town, on Rue Notre Dame, stands the neo-Gothic chapel “Notre-Dame-de-la-Fontaine” from 1893. The designer of the chapel is priest Vitale Duray (1823-1892), who did not live to see its consecration.

At the site of the chapel, there once stood a fountain with a wondrous statue. Its history dates back to the 12th century. The statue of Mary with Child originally hung on the trunk of an elder tree.

The first chapel on this site dates from 1130. It was initiated by the noblewoman Ide (Eva) de Chièvres (c. 1110-c. 1175). She also commissioned the abbey of Ghislenghien and the leper colony in Neufville in 1126. This chapel was extended in 1632 and demolished in 1798. The current chapel was built after that.

Above the entrance to the Chapel of Mary is an inscription in French. In Dutch, the text reads: “This chapel, consecrated on 14 May 1893, after being rebuilt thanks to the reverence of the faithful, spurred on by the devoted Lambert, Dean of Chièvres, replaces the old chapel built on this spot in 1130 by Ide de Chièvres, expanded in 1632 and demolished in 1798. Our Lady of the Fountain. Pray for us.”.

In the St. Mary's Chapel is also the well “Notre-Dame-de-la-Fontaine”. This well is made of black marble and has a French text around it. In Dutch, the inscription reads: “Before the year 1200, on an elder tree (elderberry), near this spring, stood the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Fountain. Here all ailments found healing”.

In the middle of the chancel stands a white marble altar, where the statue of “Notre-Dame-de-la-Fontaine” is located. It depicts Mary seated with her Son on her lap. This is a replica, as the original effigy has disappeared.

Over the years, the Maria Chapel has suffered damage on several occasions, but restoration work has always been carried out.