St Rumbold's Cathedral

St Rumbold's Cathedral dominates the Grote Markt of Mechelen, a city in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Construction of the Gothic church began in the 13th century and continued over several hundred years, and the building is named for St Rumbold, an Irish or Anglo-Saxon missionary who is said to have been martyred near Mechelen in the 8th century. The imposing west tower was begun in 1452 and was intended to rise to about 167 metres, which would have made it among the tallest in Europe. Funds ran out and the tower was left unfinished at about 97 metres, a flat-topped stump that has become the city's signature. Mechelen was the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands in the early 16th century under Margaret of Austria, and the cathedral was an important centre of art and music. The church suffered during the iconoclastic fury of the 16th century, a fire in 1972, and other damage over the centuries, but has been restored and remains in good condition. The interior is high and spacious, with a rich collection of Baroque altars, stained glass and paintings, notably the Crucifixion by Anthony van Dyck (1627). The tower is part of the Belgian belfries on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It contains two carillons with a total of 49 bells, and the city is home to the Royal Carillon School, which trains carillonneurs from around the world. Visitors can climb 538 steps in the tower to reach a viewing level, where views extend to Antwerp and Brussels on clear days. Concerts and guided tours explain the bells and clock mechanism. The cathedral remains in active use, with services in Dutch and sightseeing restricted during Mass.