For our readers in Ghent (or for those who are planning to visit Ghent this month or around this time in the future) – if you’re looking for something to do on Friday evenings in August after a tiring week, there is an open-air cinema being held on the grassy courtyard of Sint Baafsabdij (St. Baaf’s Abbey), which is around 1300 years old and very beautiful, but rarely open to the public in order to allow for the preservation of the ruins. So this is your rare chance inside!
Sint Baafsabdij - The projection area in the courtyard
Here’s some history about the abbey, so you don’t go in there ignorant, like I did. It was build in the 7th century by Amandus van Gent (Saint Amand) in an attempt to convert the pagan inhabitants of Ganda (today Ghent). The man who would become Sint Baaf (or Saint Bavo) donated the land for this abbey and helped fund it. Apparently, he was a selfish, wasteful man who reformed after being inspired by one of Amand’s sermons, donated all his money to the poor, and became a monk in the abbey that he founded, and lived there until his death.
Sint Baafsabdij
So, thanks to these saints, we now have a perfect location for a nice summer outdoor movie theater! Now if only the weather was a bit warmer too… Be sure to bring a good jacket because it gets very chilly and windy after the sun sets, and bring a blanket to spread on the grass, for your own comfort. Trust me, the grass gets really itchy after a while, and there are bugs.
Sint Baafsabdij - Another small yard, where there seem to have been graves
If you get there early, there is a DJ to play some chill tunes and a bar set up in the courtyard. Don’t worry, it’s cool to drink in the former monastery, probably even encouraged – St. Amand is the patron saint of all who produce and sell beer and and wine!
Sint Baafsabdij - The bar
Last Friday, they played The Name of the Rose, which could not have been more appropriate (or maybe inappropriate?) to watch in an abbey. Next Friday is The Passion of Joan of Arc, a silent movie, which will be accompanied by live piano, just like in the olden days…before the talkies!
Entrance is free and seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. It gets pretty full, so come a bit before the movie starts to set up your area or to try and grab a chair. Doors open at 20:00 and the movie goes on around 22:00, or whenever it gets dark enough to see it. Check the website below for the rest of the program, show times, directions, contact info, etc. (in Dutch).
Excellent! It reminds me of Sighisoara, Romania.
By the way, The Passion of Joan of Arc was really great – so captivating, and not just for a silent movie, for any movie. The actress who played Joan was amazing. The live piano music was great, and, again, nothing could have been more perfect than watching it in monastery – at the beginning of the movie, there is an exposition scene to show where Joan’s trial will take place, and I think they coordinated the monastery’s church bell to match with what would have been church bell ringing in the movie! So cool!