Zwartzusters convent
History of the Nazareth Convent of the Black nuns (Zwartzusters)
Tradition says that Elisabeth Ymbrecht, a Jewish girl from Liège who converted to Catholicism, founded the Nazareth Convent. In 1438 she rented a small house in Leuven, near the place where the Black Nuns' Convent now stands. She placed herself in the service of the sick and after a while was surrounded by a few companions. With their savings they were able to buy the house and some adjoining grounds. Soon the residence of this young community grew, and because the number of devoted girls also increased, in 1462 the bishop of Liège gave them permission to build a chapel and to adopt a monastic rule. They chose the rule of St. Augustine and a few years later they built a chapel. It was inaugurated in 1478. Above the main entrance of the convent is a commemorative stone, stating the foundation in 1462, following the monastic rule of Saint Augustine. Elisabeth Ymbrecht, the founder of the convent, died in 1482.
During the entire Ancien Régime (17th-18th century), the main occupation of the religious community was directed to the nursing at home of the sick and elderly, in exchange for a small contribution and some food. In the 17th century they made a daily collection in town. Under the rule of French Revolutionaries (end of 18th century), the Black Nuns were permitted to maintain their religious community on the condition that they devoted themselves to the nursing of mentally handicapped women. In 1796 their convent was incorporated into the Commission of Civic Hospices, in this way safeguarding the future of the institution. During the following centuries it remained within the framework of civic charitable institutions. In 1925 the convent came into the possession and under the administration of the O.C.M.W. (Public Center for Social Welfare).
In the 19th and for two thirds of the 20th century, the convent was also one of the storage places of the art collections of the afore-mentioned civic bodies. When the Black Nuns community left the convent in 1969, an official inventory of the art collection was drawn up. On that occasion the archives of the convent revealed interesting facts about the evolution of the complex.
The most important building activities date from the end of the 17th till the middle of the 19th century. In the period of 1757 to 1763, three bays of the south-wing along the Zwartzusterstraat were annexed, together with the first part of the west wing along the river Dijle. The cloister wing built in 1495-1536 was replaced by a new main building in 1680-1681 and 1687. This main building along the Zwartzusterstraat is built in the regional traditional red brick and sandstone style. It has one story and an attic with skylights. The roof is slated. The chapel (1687-1693) has one nave and four bays. It is built in Baroque Style, using the same traditional red brick and sandstone composition of the Brabant region. The slated roof is surmounted by a tower with hexagonal base terminating into a pear-shaped steeple. Among the interior furniture, the altar with the painting of 'The Adoration of the Magi' by P.J. Verhaghen (1728-1811) and the organ should be mentioned. At the east side (Schapenstraat) the wing dating from 1861-1863 was erected, partly replacing buildings from 1718-1787. The structure has 13 bays and a carriage porch. The façade along the courtyard is provided with a glass-covered gallery.
