Notre-Dame de la Chapelle

Notre-Dame de la Chapelle (Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Kapelle) stands on Place de la Chapelle at the edge of the Marolles in central Brussels, Belgium. The church traces its origins to a chapel founded in the early 12th century, traditionally attributed to Godfrey I, Count of Leuven and Duke of Lower Lotharingia, around 1134. The oldest surviving parts are Romanesque, notably elements of the transept. The choir and transept were rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 13th century, and the nave and aisles followed in the 15th century, giving the building the Brabantine Gothic character it has today.

The church was damaged in the 1695 bombardment of Brussels and in the following years was given a Baroque tower cap, a reminder of the reconstruction that followed. The building is largely constructed from local stone and brick and has a tall, light nave with slender columns and a transept. Inside, visitors find a series of Baroque altars, carved wooden pulpits and a number of commemorative monuments to local families and guilds.

The church is best known as the burial place of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Flemish painter of peasant scenes and landscapes, who died in Brussels in 1569 and lived in the Marolles. His epitaph, placed by his son Jan Brueghel, includes a painting associated with the circle of Rubens, a connection that links the church to the history of Flemish art. Bruegel had also married in the church in 1563.

The church was restored in stages over the 20th century and remains an active parish with an important role in the community, as well as a stop for visitors walking from the Grand Place to the Palace of Justice. The area around it is lively on weekends, particularly around the flea market of Place du Jeu de Balle, a short walk away.