Sint Baafskathedraal (Saint Bavo’s Cathedral ) in Ghent, one of Europe’s most beatiful Gothic cathedrals, evolved over centuries through multiple construction phases. Built on the site of a 12th-century Romanesque church, of which only the crypt with medieval frescoes remains, the cathedral’s transformation incorporated many influences and changing architectural styles. Its unusual reddish hue comes from a mix of materials: early Romanesque sections in Tournai limestone and later Gothic expansions using red bricks, especially in the nave and tower.
The first construction phase in the early 14th century replaced the Romanesque choir with a Gothic structure combining northern French Gothic verticality, pointed arches, and large stained-glass windows with Scaldian Gothic style elements, including Tournai limestone. The choir corridor and radiating chapels, added in the early 15th century, allowed for more altars and devotional spaces.
The second phase (1462–1538) saw the construction of the 89-meter-high western tower, a Brabantine Gothic structure with sand-lime bricks from Dilbeek. The tower consists of four diminishing floors, enhancing its verticality, and is crowned with four large pinnacles.
The third phase, beginning in 1533, replaced the nave, maintaining Gothic verticality and light while incorporating early Renaissance influences. The ribbed vaults distribute the ceiling’s weight across slender columns, while pointed arches frame the vast stained-glass windows, allowing multicoloured light to flood the space. Flying buttresses support thinner walls, a key Gothic innovation.
Later additions include Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicist elements. The Baroque high altar, made of white, black, and red-veined marble, reflects Counter-Reformation aesthetics. From 1741 to 1745, Laurent Delvaux created the Rococo pulpit.
