Chapelle Princesse Titine / Royal Chapel, Belgium

Chapelle Princesse Titine is an abandoned chapel in Belgium, built in a late Neo-Classical style. The large domed ceiling is the most striking feature of this chapel, with wonderful natural decay. Available information suggests this place of worship fell into disuse around a decade ago. Perhaps even a little less than that. I explored this location in 2021, on a brief detour from my Germany 2021 Tour.

History of the abandoned Chapelle Princesse Titine

A medical facility has stood on this site for many years, the chapel was added to it in the 1860s. The architecture reflects the styles of the preceding decades; Neoclassical. One of the most striking features of the chapel is the immense dome. It is quite unique in the region. The stairway connecting the chapel to the other parts of the building is also interesting. It features beautiful ironwork balustrades. Both Chapelle Princesse Titine and stairway are delightful examples of late 19th Century craftsmanship. Despite several remodelling phases over the years, the chapel and its access were retained. The chapel and its wonderful Neo-Classical architecture were simply too precious to demolish, or alter.

The chapel was once a public place of worship, in addition to serving the nearby hospital. Subsequently, the congregation moved elsewhere in the 1960s. Following their departure, the chapel was only be hospital residents for worship and some ceremonies. The hospital later converted into a care home. Seemingly the Chapelle Princesse Titine progressively fell out of use, likely sometime in the late 2010s. Nowadays only pigeons, and the occasional photographer, frequents this beautiful space.

The dark wooden high altar and credenza is Neo-Gothic in style. The walls of the chapel once featured stone statues on plinths. Alongside these were fourteen paintings representing the Stations Of The Cross. These had been removed prior to my visit.

Exploring this abandoned Neo-Classical Church

During my visit to Chapelle Princesse Titine, the ground floor of the chapel was stuffed with junk. I had to clamber over these to reach the high altar, to take a quick close up shot. To make matters worse, the junk was covered with pigeon excrement and decades of dust. This delightful combination made for a “fragrant” waft when disturbed by my scrambling.

Because of all the trash on the ground floor, I decided to shoot the chapel from the upper gallery. From this higher vantage I could enjoy the beauty of this place, using the rail and balustrade to obscure the clutter below.