Jongensinternaat Saint Louis

Het voormalig jongensinternaat Saint Louis is een van de grootste bouwwerken van Oudenbosch, dit jongensinternaat genoot nationale bekendheid en de leerlingen kwamen uit het gehele land vanwege de hoge kwaliteit van opleiding. Op dit moment is de kapel vanwege een restauratie gesloten. Vrijwilligers van de Stichting Gidsen van Saint Louis verzorgen ook tijdens de restauratie rondleidingen langs de monumentale gebouwen van het voormalige Instituut Saint Louis. Vrijwilligers van de Stichting Gidsen van Saint Louis verzorgen ook tijdens de restauratie rondleidingen langs de monumentale gebouwen van het voormalige Instituut Saint Louis. Als je een bezoek brengt aan Halderberge dan mag een bezoek aan Saint Louis zeker niet ontbreken.

History of St. Louis

In 1840, pastor Hellemons founded a monastic order to educate the youth of Oudenbosch. The boarding school is run by the Congregation of the Brothers of the Holy Aloysius Conzaga, better known as the friars of St. Louis. It all starts on a small scale, with just a few students and a superior, Father Vincentius. Soon the number of pupils is growing and more and more students from other places than Oudenbosch are admitted. The small home is extended with various new structures: the Maria home, the Vincentius building and the Aloysius building. These buildings are built around a large courtyard called the Cour. Finally, the chapel of St. Louis is built to close off the square.

Architecture

The Chapel dates from 1865 and was designed by Th. Florschutz, the art teacher at the institute, and Josephus Boosten, a friar. The chapel, like the Basilica, is reminiscent of St. Peter’s Chapel in Rome. Which is not surprising, as the first sketches were made by pastor Willem Hellemons. He’d studied in Rome and was impressed by Roman architecture.

The construction of the chapel started at the same time as the construction of the Oudenbosch basilica, but the chapel was already in use by 1866. The 30 metre high dome was realised in 1889, by professor Dr. C.J. van Swaay, a former student of the institute. In the chapel you’ll find beautiful decorations and ornaments, such as flower and leaf motifs on the ceiling and statues in the niches.

The organ is made by Van Bijlaardt and dates from 1883. Over the years, the other boarding school buildings were converted to apartments, a nursing home and a hotel. The chapel, former boarding school buildings and the cemetery are on the list of national heritage. The Saint Louis guides organise guided tours upon request around the building complex.

Discover Oudenbosch

Do you want to explore Oudenbosch and it's history as a whole? You discover everything during an organised citywalk.

Other locations nearby