Tourinnes-la-Grosse
Tourinnes-la-Grosse is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Beauvechain, located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium.
It was a municipality in its own right before the fusion of the Belgian municipalities in 1977.
Heritage
The village has one of the oldest churches of Walloon Brabant, which dominates the whole valley. Indeed, the Saint-Martin church is an outstanding example of a rural medieval sanctuary preserved in the purity of its forms and its original proportions. The oldest part, the central nave, goes back to the Carolingian dynasty. The thickness of its walls varies from 1.6m to 1.8m. The square pillars without capitals, the horseshoe arches and the wide and low nave present the building as an early Christian basilica. There is also a 17th-century baroque pulpit, a baptismal font of blue stone from the same time, Style Louis XIV confessionals, as well as a wrought iron communion bench Louis XV. The church is located close to the municipal school of Tourinnes-la-Grosse. The name Tourinnes-la-Grosse is explained by the existence of its "big tower", lower and wider than most of the church towers.Since 1946, this church has been registered as a monument; in 2002 it was listed among the exceptional built heritage of Wallonia.
In 1938, a calvary was erected next to the presbytery.
Notable inhabitants
- Jérôme Colin
- Julos Beaucarne, a Belgian artist, singing in French and Walloon, lives there.