Basilica of St. Servatius, Maastricht

The Basilica of Saint Servatius is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Servatius in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque church is situated next to the Gothic church of Saint John, backing onto the town's main square.

The present-day church is probably the fourth church built on the site of the grave of Saint Servatius, an Armenian missionary who was bishop of Tongeren and allegedly died in 384 in Maastricht. A large stone church built around 570 replaced a small memorial chapel on the saint's grave. This church was replaced by a larger one in the late 7th century, then replaced by the present-day structure, which was built in several stages over more than 100 years. The nave was built in the first half of the 11th century, the transept in the second half of the century, and the choir in the 12th century. The Romanesque church was built during a period in which the chapter of Saint Servatius kept close ties to the Holy Roman Emperors, resulting in a building with the characteristics of a German imperial church. The church's dedication in 1039 was attended by the emperor Henry III and twelve bishops. Most of the church's medieval provosts were sons of the highest-ranking German noble families.

Over the centuries, the interior of the church underwent many changes. In the 17th century, the Gothic choir rood screen with sculpted depictions of the life of Servatius was demolished. Fragments from the 14th-century screen were discovered during the 1980s restoration works and are now kept in the church's lapidarium in the East crypt. By the end of the 18th century, the entire church interior had been painted white, the colorful medieval stained glass windows had been replaced by colorless glass, and the church looked distinctly Baroque.

In 1797, the French revolutionaries dissolved the chapter, and the troops used the church as a horse stable. In 1804, the church became a parish church once again. During this period, irreparable damage was done to the church's interior. For liturgical reasons, it was considered necessary to lower the elevated choir. The underlying 11th-century crypt was entirely demolished, and most of the carved capitals were lost. Similarly, the main altar on which the reliquary chest of Saint Servatius had been displayed for many centuries was demolished. Between 1866 and 1900, the church underwent major restorations, during which some of the damage done earlier in the century was reversed.

Through the ages, the presence of the grave of Saint Servatius in the church crypt and the many relics in the church treasury have drawn large numbers of pilgrims. Starting in the 14th century (but perhaps earlier), a seven-year pilgrimage was organized in cooperation with nearby Aachen Cathedral and Kornelimunster Abbey, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the region. This so-called Heiligdomsvaart continued until 1632, when Maastricht became affiliated with the Dutch Republic. The Heiligdomsvaart was revived in the 19th century, and the tradition continues today.

Since the donation of a silver reliquary in the shape of a Roman triumphal arch by Charlemagne's biographer Einhard in c. 830, the church has acquired many treasures, most of which are now kept in the Treasury. Amongst the highlights are the reliquary shrine and the reliquary bust of Saint Servatius, the key, the cup, the crozier and the pectoral cross of Saint Servatius, a large patriarchal cross, and many other reliquaries and liturgical vessels, as well as an important collection of medieval ivories and textiles.

Today, the Basilica of Saint Servatius is the main church of Maastricht. Pope John Paul II made the church a Basilica Minor during his visit in 1985.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Saint_Servatius