St. Quentin Cathedral, Hasselt

The St. Quentin Cathedral [1] (French: Cathédrale Saint-Quentin de Hasselt Dutch: Sint-Quintinuskathedraal) also called Hasselt Cathedral is an important Catholic church in Hasselt[2][3] north of Belgium,[4] which was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1967 when the diocese of Hasselt was created. Its construction began in the eleventh century, and continued for two centuries.

St. Quentin Cathedral
Cathédrale Saint-Quentin de Hasselt Sint-Quintinuskathedraal
Location	Hasselt
Country	Belgium
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church

A first church was built in the eighth century, but was replaced in the eleventh century by a new Romanesque building. In the fifteenth century, the choir was, plus added four chapels rebuilt. Also in the fifteenth century, Hagenprekers of the Netherlands came to preach Protestantism in Hasselt, then follows a period of iconoclasm. Maaseik Hasselt temporarily declared the separation of the Church. During that time he destroyed the tabernacle, statues, the side altar and the main altar, under the command of Gerard van Groesbeek.

The tower of the present church dates from 1725; It was restored in the nineteenth century. At that time, Gothic stained glass and paintings from Herkenrode Abbey, an abbey near the town, were added. the walls are also decorated with frescoes by Godfried Guffens (1823-1901), a painter of Hasselt. The cathedral houses the works of many centuries, beginning in the 15th century. Since 1993, the cathedral is a protected heritage.