Sunday marks an important day for the village of Ronse in East Flanders, as the entrance to the crypt in the restored Coleta Chapel of the St. Hermes' Basilica was used after it was closed for 300 years.
The reopening of the Romanesque crypt, dating back to 1089, was planned for early July, but the restoration of the crypt was delayed due to shortages of raw materials and the pandemic. Now, it coincided with the annual commemoration of the town's patron saint, Saint-Hermes.
At 11:00, the shrine was carried into the crypt via the re-opened ancient entrance for the first time in 300 years, a post on the St. Hermes' Basilica's Facebook page read.
The moment marks one of the first highlights after a long restoration process of the basilica that was carried out in four stages, of which the first three are almost completed.
The choir, the sacristy, the altar, several statues in the building and the wooden horse of Saint-Hermes, which was suffering from wood rot, were included in the restoration process.
The renovated crypt. Credit: St. Hermes' Basilica
The second phase, which saw the open church space being integrated into the crypt and the church's heating system being renewed, began in February 2020, just before the Covid-19 crisis broke out. These works made it possible to reopen the historic access from the basilica to the crypt in the Coleta Chapel.
In the final phase, nave and side chapels will be tackled, starting in 2023. The renovations are expected to be finalised by mid-2024, according to VRT NWS.
Inside the crypt. Credit: Ontdek Ronse
The crypt itself will be open to the public on 14 October, after which visitors will be able to take a peak during the free guided tours, organised every Saturday and Sunday until 27 November.
