Betekom
Image copyright © KIK-IRPA, Brussels (Belgium), 2026
CC-BY-4.0
Results: 1 records
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © KIK-IRPA, Brussels (Belgium), 2026
Image Source: digital image of a 1975 B&W photograph
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-4.0
INFORMATION
Font ID: 26132HXP
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Church / Chapel Name: Sint-Laurentiuskerk, Betekom
Church Wikidata: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Laurentiuskerk_(Betekom)
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Lawrence
Church Address: 12,, Gelroodsesteenweg 4, 3130 Begijnendijk, Belgium
Site Location: Vlaams-Brabant / Brabant Flamand, Vlaanderen / Flandres, Belgium, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off (S the N21, 4-5 km W of Aarschit, 14-15 km NE of Louvain/Leuven
Town/City Wikipedia: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betekom
Font Notes:
Click to view
Baptismal font listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/4553] [accessed 18 February 2026]: "doopvont [...] zandsteen, koper [...] hoogte: 103 cm [...] hoogte deksel: 62.5 cm [...] Date: 1615 - 1615 [...] inscriptie, gegraveerd, op kuip: ged. inscr. met initialen I.H., AR/K TDGW, 1741: IH/AR/ ANNO 1741/K/TDWG". [NB: the inscription is on the later baptismal dish].
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 21 January 2026) informs: "The oldest surviving document mentioning Betekom dates from 1243. On April 29, 1243, Charles II, Lord of Rivieren at Betekom, received permission from Prince-Bishop Robert of Liège to sell the tithe of Betekom to the Abbey of Saint Gertrude in Leuven, which would continue to hold these rights until the French Revolution. The fact that priest Arnold is also mentioned at that time suggests that the parish had existed for quite some time. The oldest part of the current church is the base of the Gothic tower: 14th-century. The choir probably dates from around 1400 and was built of iron sandstone with white stone cladding. The 16th-century nave is built of brick and sandstone. Neo-Gothic aisles were added in 1854-1858. Baptismal records begin in 1611. The Renaissance baptismal font is made of sandstone, which is unusual. It bears the date 1615. The brass baptismal font bears a cryptic inscription from 1741.
https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/4553".
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 21 January 2026) informs: "The oldest surviving document mentioning Betekom dates from 1243. On April 29, 1243, Charles II, Lord of Rivieren at Betekom, received permission from Prince-Bishop Robert of Liège to sell the tithe of Betekom to the Abbey of Saint Gertrude in Leuven, which would continue to hold these rights until the French Revolution. The fact that priest Arnold is also mentioned at that time suggests that the parish had existed for quite some time. The oldest part of the current church is the base of the Gothic tower: 14th-century. The choir probably dates from around 1400 and was built of iron sandstone with white stone cladding. The 16th-century nave is built of brick and sandstone. Neo-Gothic aisles were added in 1854-1858. Baptismal records begin in 1611. The Renaissance baptismal font is made of sandstone, which is unusual. It bears the date 1615. The brass baptismal font bears a cryptic inscription from 1741.
https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/4553".
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for bringing this font to our attention and for his help in documenting it
COORDINATES
UTM: 31U 625027 5649631
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 50.984672, 4.78125
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 50° 59′ 4.82″ N, 4° 46′ 52.5″ E
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, sandstone
Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal
Font Height (less Plinth): 103 cm*
Notes on Measurements: * [cf. FontNotes]
INSCRIPTION
Inscription Language: Flemish
Inscription Location: on the metal baptismal dish [cf. FontNotes]
Inscription Text: "I.H., AR/K TDGW, 1741: IH/AR/ ANNO 1741/K/TDWG"
Inscription Notes: on the baptismal dish [cf. FontNotes]
Inscription Source: [cf. FontNotes]
LID INFORMATION
Material: copper
Notes: dome-shaped with orb-and-cross finial
REFERENCES
- KIK-IRPA, BALaT KIK-IRPA, 2024. URL: https://balat.kikirpa.be/.