Avendoren / Avendoren in Tienen / Evrendore
INFORMATION
Font ID: 26342LJG
Object Type: Baptismal Font1?
Church / Chapel Name: Sint-Martinuskerk [disappeared]
Font Location in Church: disappeared?
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Martin
Church Address: disappeared church & village
Additional Comments: disappeared font? [cf. FontNotes]
Font Notes:
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The Onroerend erfgoed - Inventaris [https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be] [accessed 23 April 2026] reports that the Saint Martin's Church in Avendoren was [...] the oldest parish church of Tienen / Tirlemont: "De Sint-Martinuskerk in Avendoren was alleszins de oudste parochiekerk van Tienen." The Tienen/Tirlemont municipality page [https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/140041] [accessed 23 April 2026] notes: "Tienen originally developed around the St. Martin chapel, later replaced by the St. Martin church, the oldest parish church in the town. The church was the private chapel of the van Avendoren family."
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 3 November 2025) informs: "Avendoren (Tienen), Sint-Martinuskerk. Disappeared village, demolished church, lost baptismal font. As the 1981/82 excavations demonstrated, the Romanesque St. Martin's Chapel in Avendoren was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman vicus. It was the oldest parish church on the present territory of the city of Tienen. The first place of worship probably dated from before 800. The oldest mention, in 1034, is "Evrendore." Other older forms include: 1129 Anselmus de Auerendoren, 1145 Aurendor, 1278 Arnoldi dicti Awrendoren. Evrendoren in 1155. Avendoren was a small lordship dependent on the Abbey of Broqueroie in Hainaut. The castle may have stood within the well-known horseshoe-shaped structure formed by the current Distelstraat, Verlatstraat, and Avendorenstraat. The parish chapel may then have been the private church of the van Avrendoren family. For unknown reasons, its patron saint Martin of Haspengouw was "replaced" by Saint Martin of Tours in the 12th century. On a hill on the other side of the Mene River (now called Grote Gete) stood the villa de Thuinae. It was situated on higher, more easily defensible ground. At the beginning of the 9th century, the Benedictines of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Paris) built a Romanesque church there, dedicated to Saint Germanus, and a small monastery. Under their influence, the Sint-Germanus hill developed into the center of the growing town and soon overshadowed the domanial church of Avendoren. After 1190, Avendoren declined in importance. The Sint-Germanus church became the town's parish church. After the construction of the city’s ramparts in the 14th century, most of Avendoren became enclosed within the city wall. Two centuries later, the city shrank behind a partially new, smaller rampart, including the Avendorenvesten, placing Avendoren once again outside the city center. The church was publicly sold by the French regime in 1798 and demolished eighteen years later. Between 1816 and 1826, its stones were used as building material. The church is visible on several old maps, such as one in 1635. A wall has also been preserved. No trace of baptismal font."
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 3 November 2025) informs: "Avendoren (Tienen), Sint-Martinuskerk. Disappeared village, demolished church, lost baptismal font. As the 1981/82 excavations demonstrated, the Romanesque St. Martin's Chapel in Avendoren was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman vicus. It was the oldest parish church on the present territory of the city of Tienen. The first place of worship probably dated from before 800. The oldest mention, in 1034, is "Evrendore." Other older forms include: 1129 Anselmus de Auerendoren, 1145 Aurendor, 1278 Arnoldi dicti Awrendoren. Evrendoren in 1155. Avendoren was a small lordship dependent on the Abbey of Broqueroie in Hainaut. The castle may have stood within the well-known horseshoe-shaped structure formed by the current Distelstraat, Verlatstraat, and Avendorenstraat. The parish chapel may then have been the private church of the van Avrendoren family. For unknown reasons, its patron saint Martin of Haspengouw was "replaced" by Saint Martin of Tours in the 12th century. On a hill on the other side of the Mene River (now called Grote Gete) stood the villa de Thuinae. It was situated on higher, more easily defensible ground. At the beginning of the 9th century, the Benedictines of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Paris) built a Romanesque church there, dedicated to Saint Germanus, and a small monastery. Under their influence, the Sint-Germanus hill developed into the center of the growing town and soon overshadowed the domanial church of Avendoren. After 1190, Avendoren declined in importance. The Sint-Germanus church became the town's parish church. After the construction of the city’s ramparts in the 14th century, most of Avendoren became enclosed within the city wall. Two centuries later, the city shrank behind a partially new, smaller rampart, including the Avendorenvesten, placing Avendoren once again outside the city center. The church was publicly sold by the French regime in 1798 and demolished eighteen years later. Between 1816 and 1826, its stones were used as building material. The church is visible on several old maps, such as one in 1635. A wall has also been preserved. No trace of baptismal font."