Ulbeek / Ulen

Baptismal font from the old church listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/80095] [accessed 28 April 2024]: "Kerk Sint-Rochus[Ulbeek] [...] doopvont [...] hardsteen [...] Date: 1201 (onzeker) - 1400 (onzeker)" [NB: the KIK-IRA entry cites "C. Ceulemans en R. Didier, Inventaris van de gotische figuratieve beeldsnijkunst uit de periode 1380-1550, bewaard in Belgisch Limburg, (tent. cat. Sint-Truiden, 1990), nr. 632." as reference]. The entry for this church in the Belgian Wikipedia [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Rochuskerk_(Ulbeek)] [accessed 28 April 2024] mentions that a Gothic baptismal font made of bluestone in the 13th century ["de 13e-eeuwse vroeggotische doopvont in arduin"], originally from the old church was moved to the new building. The entry for the new church in the Belgian Wikipedia [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Sint-Rochuskerk_(Ulbeek)] [accessed 28 April 2024] describes the font in it as second quarter of the 16th-century, decorated with four heads; the base and the cover, modern ["Het doopvont stamt uit het tweede kwart van de 16e eeuw. Het toont vier hoofden. De sokkel en het deksel zijn nieuw"]. A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 24 February 2024) notes: "The old Saint-Rochus church at Ulen has been used until 1938, after which it was replaced by the newly built Saint-Rochus church, that is located 250m away. There is a damaged basin of a mosan limestone font, with 4 heads. KIK-IRPA dates the baptismal font 12-14th century. Wikipedia says : second quarter 16th century (on the website of the new church) and 13th century (on the website of the old church). My opinion : it is 13thC. The old church was used as factory building and as storage room for a furniture company. By 1990, the village council wanted to demolish the ruined remains, but there was a lot of protest. It was decided to restore the building, and to use it as burial place. The restoration was finished in 2012. Archeological excavations in 1998 revealed the existing of a unknown older, Romanesque building. Mostly dated circa 1000. Ulbeek is mentioned for the first time in 1067, when bishop Theoduinus of Liège (1048-1075) bought it. A priest is mentioned in 1129. In the centre of the nave, on the axis, the foundation of a baptismal font were discovered. I could also be the foundation of a pillar, but there is no indication of the need for such pillar within the lay-out of the building. This find is in line with the hypothesis stated by Mona Bramer Solhaug in The architectural setting of baptism : rituals, norms and practices in Scandinavia : ca 1050- ca 1250." [NB: the identification of the foundation for the font is noted and illustrated in Elvira Knaepen's Archeologisch onderzoek in de oude kerk van Ulbeek / Wellen 1 juli 1998 -31 oktober 1998 o.l.v. archeoloog S. Bielen (voor de gemeente) en L. Van Impe (voor het IAP) [089723_Knaepen_E._2009.pdf] [accessed 28 April 2024]