The Church of Saint Waltrude, or Sint-Waldetrudiskerk in Herentals, Belgium, is a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Waldetrudis, also known as Saint Waltrude or Saint Waudru, a seventh-century noblewoman and abbess of Mons whose veneration spread widely across the Low Countries. The three names refer to the same person: Waldetrudis is the Latin form, Waltrude the English rendering, and Waudru the French name by which she is most commonly known in Belgium. The church stands in the historic heart of Herentals and once functioned as a ʽkapittelkerkʼ, or collegiate church, serving a chapter of canons. Its architectural development extended over several centuries, reflecting both the prosperity and interruptions that marked the city’s history. The oldest surviving element is the tower, which dates from the fourteenth century and originally belonged to an earlier Gothic structure. Construction of the choir began in 1417, marking a transition between High and Late Gothic styles, while the nave followed in 1453 and subsequent years. The building exhibits the hallmarks of Brabantine Gothic architecture, including pointed arches, slender columns, and flying buttresses. The tower’s position, partly embedded between the nave and the choir, is architecturally unusual and testifies to the successive building phases. Although the ambitious Gothic choir was begun with great intention, it remained unfinished. The eastern end of the church was ultimately closed by a plain brick wall erected between 1607 and 1646, giving the structure its distinctive truncated appearance. The sacristy was later added in 1785, introducing a more restrained late Baroque touch to the ensemble. Over time, the tower suffered damage from storms and fire; the spire destroyed in 1769 was replaced in 1901 by the current needle-shaped one. The church’s interior preserves an exceptional collection of religious art spanning several centuries. Among its most remarkable pieces is the early sixteenth-century altarpiece of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, patrons of shoemakers and tanners, carved by the Brussels master Passier Borreman around 1515–1520. This work, commissioned by the local guilds, reflects both the craftsmanship and civic pride of late medieval Herentals. Numerous paintings by members of the Francken family, a dynasty of artists from Herentals active in Antwerp during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, adorn the walls. Sculpted capitals in the choir depict scenes from the Old Testament, including Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Moses, and David, dating from the first half of the fifteenth century. The church also houses a Romanesque baptismal font of Tournai bluestone from the thirteenth century, predating the current Gothic building, as well as a Rococo organ case containing an instrument of 37 registers on three manuals and pedal. The Church of Saint Waltrude has been a protected monument since 1936, recognised for its architectural integrity and artistic significance. Despite its solid appearance, the building has faced ongoing challenges of maintenance. Inspections by the Monumentenwacht in 2023 revealed urgent restoration needs, particularly concerning the roof, façade, and stained-glass windows, with estimated repair costs exceeding a quarter of a million euros. The church continues to serve both as a place of worship and as a cultural landmark in the region, embodying centuries of faith, craftsmanship, and local identity. Its layered history—of incomplete ambitions, artistic achievements, and enduring devotion—makes it one of the most evocative examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture in the Kempen region. 回