VirtualBruges - Museums

A number of works of art which have been among the treasures of the Basilica of the Holy Blood for many years are kept in this small but richly endowed museum. The showpiece is certainly the splendid Renaissance reliquary of the Holy Blood, which was delivered to the Brotherhood of the Holy Blood in 1617 by the famous goldsmith Jan Crabbe. The open, hexagonal shrine has a wide base, six Corinthian columns and an upper section with three tower-shaped structures at the top. A small platform in the centre supports a hexagonal box, in which the relic of the Holy Blood can be stored. The sides are decorated with the coats of arms of Flanders, Bruges, Count Thierry of Alsace and Albrecht and Isabella, the ducal couple who were reigning at the time when the reliquary was made. The lid is decorated with a calvary cross and statues of Mary and John. A precious medieval crown, which according to tradition was worn by Mary of Burgundy herself, is suspended above the box.
	The black diamond in the centre of the reliquary came from Mary Stuart, and the cameos and emerald rings on the upper section came from King Leopold I. The top of the reliquary is taken up by a decorative statue of a pelican.	The museum also contains a number of historical chasubles with ornamental edging, and a series of very important paintings. The two large panels showing the portraits of the Brotherhood of the Holy Blood were painted in 1556 by Pieter Pourbus.

Opening hours
April-September	October-March
9.30 h - 12.00 h 14.00 h - 18.00 h	10.00 h - 12.00 h 14.00 h - 16.00 h Closed on Wednesday afternoon.
Closed on the 1st of January, 1st of Novermber and the 25th of December