St John’s Church

The parish where St John’s Church was located was one of the richest parishes in Mechelen because the members of the Great Council lived in the vicinity. The Great Council was the highest court of law in the Low Countries from the fifteenth century (first under the name Parliament of Mechelen) until it was abolished in the French Revolution.

Those elected to the Council had studied law at university and were appointed by the sovereign. So the parish was not short of money. This is reflected in the wealth of treasures housed in St John’s Church. Built in above the altar is Peter Paul Rubens’ famous baroque triptych. The beautifully executed centre panel depicts the 'Adoration of the Magi’. Behind the side panels is a mechanism for turning the paintings at regular intervals so that all the scenes can be admired.

The churchwardens’ benches are particularly noteworthy because of the exquisite woodcarving. This is where the wealthy sponsors of the parish sat. The richest members of the Great Council were also responsible for building the Sacrament Chapel in 1548. The chapel is as big as the original chancel and houses the tomb of the man who commissioned it (Lambert de Briaerde, then Chairman of the Great Council) and his wife.

In 2008 the Flemish Heritage Agency chanced upon some fourteenth-century wall paintings behind the organ case, on the first floor of the tower of St John’s Church. These are not mere fragments, but two large artworks depicting St Christopher and St George.