Ename 974

• Historical overview

• Timescope 3

The Saint Laurentius Church is located in the village center of Ename and still serves as the local parish church. It is a remarkable monument about which we now know a great deal.

The building was commissioned by Herman van Verdun around AD 1000. At that time, Ename was situated on the boundary between the Frankish kingdom and the Ottonian Empire, making it one of the most important strategic locations in Western Europe. In the design of the Saint Laurentius Church, Herman clearly sought to express his loyalty to the Emperor. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the architectural plan of the Saint Laurentius Church resembled those of the major Ottonian imperial churches. Another indication of the importance of this church was the commissioning of wallpaintings, apparently executed by a top-level professional.

The true character of the Saint Laurentius church was discovered only in 1990 when the building was thoroughly investigated because of stability problems with the tower. A painted tympanum emerged from behind the organ and research proved that these murals in Byzantine style are the oldest wall-paintings in the Benelux. Further research showed that it is an imperial church with two choirs dating from around 1000, when Ename flourished. Architecturally the church can be linked to early-Christian buildings in e.g. Ravenna, the residence of the Ottonian emperors in Italy.

An elaborate investigation and restoration program started in 1999. A complete architectural-historical and archaeological investigation was executed, inside the Ottonian character was restored and the tower was stabilised. The church was consecrated and used again at the end of 2002.

A new Timeframe was built to tell the history of this building in all its aspects, using interactive techniques. This innovative system was developed in collaboration with IBM and offers a unique and new way to present historical buildings and monuments to the public.

The church is located in the "Enameplein" in the center of the village. This public square can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when the "common" area of the village was where the livestock was brought together at night. Around 1650, the Enameplein gained the rectangular shape that it still possesses today.

Aerial photograph of the Saint Laurentius Church. Like the major churches of the Ottonian Empire, it has a choir or apse on both ends of the nave. (Photo. H. Timmerman)

The interior of the church before the start of the historical investigations. An 18^th-century organ dominated the eastern side of the nave.

When the organ front was removed, a portion of the wall of the choir was revealed, bearing magnificent wall paintings

A 3D computer reconstruction of the Saint Laurentius church about the year 1000. The tower of the eastern choir was originally closed. The tower is remarkable for its many blind arches. This architectural element is strongly reminiscent of the early Christian buildings in Ravenna, for example, which was the capital of the Ottonian emperors in Italy.

Virtual reconstruction of the original appearance of the church. The eastern choir consists of two main superimposed arches (as in the Pfalzkapelle in the main Carolingian capital of Aachen). After the restoration is completed, the central aisle of the church will once more look as it did in the year 1000.

The bind niches in the west choir will also be restored.

In the center of the arch is a Majestas Domini (Christ as King) rendered in in Byzantine style. The work dates from ca. 1010 and is of high artistic standards. The angels and the cross to the left were added later, probably in the 12^th century. This wall-painting in the east choir was restored by Lynda Van Dyck in cooperation with the Flemish Administration for Monuments and Landscapes..