BRUSSELS, Belgium — A cross crowns the Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage, marking the apex of this 17th-century Flemish Baroque church. This religious symbol tops the church's architectural composition, serving as both a spiritual marker and architectural finale. The cross represents an integral element of the church's original baroque design.
Photograph by David Coleman. The cross atop the Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage (Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste au Béguinage in French, Sint-Jan Baptist ten Begijnhofkerk in Dutch) serves as the culminating architectural element of this significant baroque religious building. Installed during the church's construction in 1676, the cross combines religious symbolism with architectural purpose, marking the highest point of this Counter-Reformation era church. The positioning and design of the cross reflect both spiritual significance and baroque architectural principles, where religious symbols were integrated into the overall compositional hierarchy of church buildings. This architectural feature demonstrates the sophisticated approach to religious architecture in 17th-century Brussels, where symbolic elements were carefully incorporated into the dramatic vertical emphasis characteristic of Flemish Baroque design. The cross continues to serve as both a religious symbol and a distinctive architectural element of this historic church.
Size: 6706px × 4476px
Location: Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage, Arrondissement Brussel-Hoofdstad, Brussels Capita
Photo credit: © David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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