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Saint Peter & Paul's church PULLE in ZANDHOVEN / BELGIUM description:

The western tower of this gothic church dates from the 15th century. The choir, the transept and the 3 aisled nave date from the 17th century. In 1826 a new tunnel vault was added.

In the western tower, there is a bell from 1309. According to some sources, this would be the eldest church bell in Europe! We contradict this, as in the Netherlands there is a bell from 1284 and one from 1285 in museums. During the second Worls War, the Germans wanted to steal this church, but the pastor managed to change thier minds... The Maria bell carries a text and <<+ ANNO o DNI o M o CCC o IX o N o DCB o + MARIA>>. The diameter of the bell 96 cm and it's 80 cm heigh. It's shape is comparable to one made in 1353 in a church in Saalfeld in Germany. It's wrtings are similar to the ones of the bell in the Saint Peters' church of Aachen. This brings us to the dia that proably this bell was made in Germany.

In the interior, there are quite some interesting treasures. We name

• Het high altar with flanking statues Saint Peter and Saint Paul from 1649. The painting ('Jezus' Resurrection') is more recent.
• 2 confessionals from the middle of the 17th century
• 17th century pulpit (it's base is made in 1852)
• Baroque organ-case from 1740 by F.J.Verbruecken.
• 16th century, bleustone baptismal font .
• An old painting probably made by one of the Flemish Primitives.
• Een Terra cotta statue
• The original calvary is inside (on the outside there is a replica)

A funny story is related to the stone owls which are standing in the belfry windows. They were put there to scare off the pigeons. But as this failed, they had to close the belfry windows by gauze.

For more info and pictures, click here.

According to Thierry Pauwels (translated by us): 'It is wrong that the bell in Pulle would be the eldest in Europe. In fact, it's only a clock of the 3rd generation, already looking like the bells we know nowadays. Earlier shapes were the Zuckerhut bells, and still elder the Bienenkorb bells. The eldest dated bell hangs in Germany and dates from 1144 (Google on Iggensbach Bienenkorbglocke youtube), but there are other 12th century bells in Germany.

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