Museum van het Heilig Bloed
Museum and treasury in the Basilica of the Holy Blood on the Burg, with the reliquary shrine of 1617 and works of art from the 15th to the 18th century.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Basilica of the Holy Blood on the Burg consists of two chapels stacked on top of each other. Below lies the Romanesque Sint-Basiliuskapel from the twelfth century, the only fully preserved Romanesque church in West Flanders and formerly the household chapel of the counts of Flanders. Above it stands the Gothic Heilig Bloedkapel, which was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style after the French Revolution. In 1923 both chapels were elevated to basilica.
In the upper chapel the relic of the Holy Blood is venerated; it is carried every year on Ascension Day in the Procession of the Holy Blood through the city. According to tradition, Count Thierry of Alsace brought the relic to Bruges in the twelfth century.
The museum illustrates the history of the chapel and the relic. The highlight is the reliquary shrine that goldsmith Jan Crabbe made in 1617 from about 30 kilograms of gold and silver, set with more than 100 gemstones. In addition you see a silver crown from the fifteenth century, paintings and triptychs from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, two panels by Pieter Pourbus with the members of the Confraternity of the Holy Blood, wooden medallions by Hendrik Pulinx and a tapestry from 1637.
Highlights
- Reliquary shrine of the Holy Blood by Jan Crabbe, 1617
- Panels by Pieter Pourbus with the members of the Confraternity of the Holy Blood
- Triptychs from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
- Romanesque Sint-Basiliuskapel and neo-Gothic upper chapel
- Daily veneration of the relic in the upper basilica
Permanent exhibition
- Museum en schatkamer – The reliquary shrine of 1617, paintings, triptychs, sculpture and a tapestry illustrate the history of the Heilig Bloedkapel and the relic.
- Founded
- 1157
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Children under 12 enter the museum free. |
The basilica itself is free to visit; for the museum with the treasury you pay €5.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The basilica is at Burg 13, next to the Town Hall.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | On the website you will also find the calendar of church services and concerts. |
|---|
