Tielt / Tiletum

The entry for this church in the Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed [https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/86722] [accessed 16 February 2024] mentions a baptismal font made of marble in te 17th-18th century, with a cover of wood and iron ["Doopvont, 17de-18de eeuw, marmer, hout en deksel in ijzer"]. Baptismal font listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/70786] [accessed 16 February 2024]: "doopvont [...] marmer, hout, ijzer [...] Date: 1691 - 1710 [...] hoogte: 115 cm". The font consists of a shallow round basin decorated with a scotia on the side, and a gadrooned under bowl, raised on a baluster-shaped round pedestal base with mouldings. A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 6 October 2023) conveys the following information [original source N/A]: "In 1645 the church was set on fire again, this time by French troops. Four years later the tower collapses. Due to plundering by French troops in 1695-1696, the repair works made slow progress. The guard of the monastery describes: "They burned the houses, plundered the churches, robbed young girls, widows and married women of their clothes, tied them naked to the trees. The priests had barely left their shirts on their bodies. All sacred vessels were stolen, the Blessed Sacrament was trampled underfoot, they anointed their shoes with holy oil, they put their excrements in the old baptismal font, in a word, everything consecrated and holy was defiled by them." Afterwards, a new baptismal font was ordered."