Office de Tourisme Cassel Horizons

Bavinchove is the estate (-Hove-) of the companions (genitive -ing-) of a certain Bavo. Was he a Frankish warrior who settled there in the 5^th century? Or was he Saint Bavon, a young Lord converted in the 7^th century by Saint Amand? We think this last supposition is the good one given that the abbey of Ghent (Belgium) has his name and was in charge of the collection of the tithe in our region.

You could admire the wood-panelled vaults of the church, dedicated to SaintOmer. It was rebuilt by stages during the 18^th century: the three naves and the tower in 1704, the chancel in 1763. Only the central part of the front has still elements from the initial building, built in the 12^th century in ferruginous sandstone extracted from the quarries of Mount Cassel.

Inside you could see statues of saints of baroque inspiration, sculpted in the 18^th century.

Outside, on the right side of the great door, you could see a gravestone fixed on the wall. This stone was firstly used as flagstone. You could see the recumbent effigy, stretched with folded hands, the head on a pillow and the emblems of the four evangelists on each corner.

The Flemish inscription says: “Here lies My Lord Jan Van Cappel who died on May 29^th of the year 1537. God rest his soul.”

In Bavinchove, in 1071, Robert le Frison defeated his nephew Arnould, who was supported by the King of France and who also aspired to succeed to Baldwin V, known as “de Lille”, Count of Flanders.