One of the Oldest Churches in Leuven, St Lambert Chapel

The Saint Lambert chapel (Sint-Lambertuskapel)  in Heverlee, Leuven, is located in the castle park Arenberg. The chapel functioned for the Heverlee sub-parish, which depended on the Sint-Anna parish in Oud-Heverlee (until 1757).

The chapel was a success for the parish of Heverlee. The first chapel in the 11th century was built entirely in wood, later it was built in stone, including a fortified tower (12th - 13th centuries). 

In the 18th century, it was brought to trial before the ecclesiastical court in Mechelen. Heverlee became a separate parish, separate from Oud-Heverlee. The parish came into the hands of Park Abbey. The Sint-Lambertus chapel briefly became Sint-Lambertuskerk, a parish church, from 1757 to 1782, In the Saint Lambert chapel, the side wings and the chancel were demolished because they were rotten (19th century). The chapel became a private house.

After the First World War, the Catholic University of Leuven  (KU Leuven) became the owner of the Arenberg castle park and also of the Saint Lambert chapel. She had the chapel restored in 1965. Inside is a crucifix of the Saint Jacob's Church in Leuven. Its idyllic, intimate, yet open setting makes the chapel a popular wedding chapel.

(Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Lambertuskapel_(Heverlee)), photo by Aslı Tezcan

Saint Lambert chapel