Heritage Day is the largest cultural event celebrated all over Europe every September. In 2022, the European theme of sustainability will be central, a current and hip theme. Sustainability can therefore be approached in many ways.
When we talk about heritage and sustainability, you can start from the statement that heritage in itself is already sustainable. This statement is based on the idea of circularity: monuments are already very sustainable, partly because of their advanced age, because they score very high in terms of space, reuse of materials and the lifespan of materials. But circularity must also play a major role in the future in preserving the heritage values of a monument. This by continuing to focus on the use and reuse of heritage, heritage elements and historical materials, as well as on the responsible recycling of materials.
Monuments do not stand alone and if we do not want to damage their value, then we must also pay attention to their surroundings. Not only the surrounding garden, but also the surrounding streets contribute to the heritage experience of the public. An integrated approach to monuments ensures a total experience that also benefits the local community.
The Saint Paul’s Church eagerly responds to these two elements, heritage and environment, because we are almost a textbook example of them. During Open Monument Day, the ‘crypt guides’ of the Saint Paul’s friends are happy to introduce you to our garden on Sint-Paulusstraat, the former orchard of the Predikheren monastery, as a sustainable and connecting element of the entire community in the Antwerp Schipperskwartier, religious or not.
They then take you in groups of maximum eight people to the medieval underground of the church and monastery. The fathers of the 13th century built with such durable materials that those of the 17th century could continue to work with them without any problems, and so do we today. They are wonderful examples of what this edition of Open Monuments Day means!
Practical:
On Sunday 11 September from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Sint-Paulusstraat entrance, free event.
Listen to the guides in the garden, just join a group.
For the guided tours to the underground, we form rows, which walk down in groups of eight with a guide. There are many ‘crypt guides’ available, so feel free to join the queue, it will progress!
Of course there are also Saint Paul friends in the church and the Calvary, so walk around as you wish.
Date:
11 september 2022 | 13:00
