In the 16th, 17th and 18th century St. James' Church was the parish church of Antwerp's prominent citizens, several of whom built private burial chapels in the church. In the church numerous important important gravestones are still inside, most belonging to the nobility. There are more than 1300 graves inside the church, and dates of burials of more than 4500 persons. Some graves are of very high quality, famous is the grave of Francisco Marcos de Velasco made by Pieter Scheemaeckers, [1] Ludovicus Anthoine, made by Kerrickx [2] and Henrica Carolina Adriana Josepha van Cornelissen and Eugenia Catherina van Ertborn both sculpted in marble by Guillaume Geefs.[3] The most famous is that of Antwerp's renowned painter Peter Paul Rubens, completed five years after his death in 1640. The painting above Rubens' tomb is by the master himself.
