The Lady of Voerendaal
Author: Via Belgica
Photography: Via Belgica
“Our Lady of Voerendaal has risen from the earth once again,” said alderman Peter Thomas. The municipality of Voerendaal is proud of the beautiful artwork that Tei van Neerven and Moniek Bongers of Kanzie have created near the station in Voerendaal.
Kanzie was inspired by the sculpted female head from Roman times, found in 1917 in Voerendaal. Who was this lady? Did she belong to the household of the large Roman villa on the Steinweg? We will probably never know the answer. What we do know is that Kanzie has honoured the Lady with this artwork. The details of the hairstyle and facial expression are exquisitely elaborated. They give the sculpture depth and bring the Lady back to life across the centuries in a contemporary expressive design.
During the creation of the large-scale artwork, Kanzie experienced pleasant and warm contact with local residents. Some regularly provided a cup of coffee. They also received many positive reactions. Enthusiastic interested people engraved more than 100 stones, all of which have been given a place in the artwork. Kanzie was very pleased with the great positive involvement of the neighbourhood.
Our Lady of Voerendaal has risen from the earth once again— Peter Thomas
The sculpture of the Lady is part of the Roman cycling route between Simpelveld and Voerendaal. As part of this route, an information column will be placed near the station with background information about the Lady, the Roman era and a Via Belgica audio fragment. The cycling route is 44.2 km long and can be found on www.viabelgica.nl and www.toerismevoerendaal.nl. The route can also be purchased for 1 euro at local VVV tourist information points.
A festive unveiling could not be given to the Lady due to current circumstances. As an alternative, Kanzie, together with alderman Thomas, engraved a final stone, thus concluding the work. Tei and Moniek have also set up a small exhibition close to the Lady. This can be viewed near the station in Voerendaal until early January.
