The Very Beautiful Chapel of Bruges. Holy Blood Basilica

2018 By justmovingaround in BELGIUM, Sacred Grounds Tags: basilica, Belgium, Bruges, Catholic, chapel, Gothic, historic city

Tucked away in a corner of Bruges’ main square stands a building that many visitors walk past without a second glance. What looks like just another ornate façade hides one of the city’s most surprising and moving interiors — the Basilica of the Holy Blood. On a spontaneous visit, I stepped inside without expectations, and found myself completely taken aback by its quiet grandeur and unexpected richness.

Last year, while on a weekend business trip to Brussels, I took the opportunity to visit the historic city of Bruges. Often considered one of the best-preserved and carefully restored medieval towns in Europe, Bruges is known for strict urban planning that ensures new buildings fit seamlessly into the historic setting. I arrived without a plan – just to wander, take in the sights, and make some photos. To better understand the city’s heritage, I took a one-hour guided tour on a small tourist bus, which starts and ends at the main square. I hadn’t intended to visit any interiors, but one place caught my attention during the audio guide. It was described as the most beautiful church in Bruges, housing a revered relic. Located just a five-minute walk from the square, I returned there after the tour. What I found was not a large cathedral, but rather a chapel-sized basilica. But its design and decor were astonishing.

The Interior and Architectural Layout

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is best known for housing a revered relic said to contain the blood of Christ. But beyond its religious importance, the basilica also stands out as a site of real architectural and artistic interest. One of its most distinctive features is its two-level structure, made up of a lower and an upper chapel, both originally connected to the former residence of the Count of Flanders. The lower chapel, dedicated to Saint Basil the Great, is built in the Romanesque style. It has a quiet, almost austere feel, with low vaulted ceilings and minimal decoration. In contrast, the upper chapel – the Chapel of the Holy Blood – is an example of Gothic architecture. It’s decorated with colourful stained glass, intricate altarpieces, and vivid frescoes, reflecting the artistic style of the time. The upper chapel was originally built in the Romanesque style, just like the lower chapel, but it was transformed into the Gothic style at the end of the 15th century. Later, during the 19th century, it underwent further changes as part of the Gothic Revival movement, which included major restoration works throughout the historic city of Bruges. The photos you see below were made in the upper chapel.

The Neo-Gothic interior of the Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges

Historical Background and Foundation

The origins of the Basilica of the Holy Blood date back to the 12th century. It was commissiioned by Thierry of Alsace who was a Count of Flanders from 1128 to 1168. In his youth, he travelled to the Holy Land as a pilgrim, and later took part in the Second Crusade (1147–1149) alongside King Louis VII of France. He returned again in 1157 on a private crusade.

In his private residence, he commissioned a private chapel for himself and his court, forming an integral part of the comital residence located on the main square of Bruges. At that time, the lower chapel was constructed and dedicated to Saint Basil the Great, whose relics Thierry brought back from one of his journeys to the Holy Land. This Romanesque chapel, with its austere form and low vaulted ceilings, remains the oldest part of the basilica, and has preserved much of its original character to this day.

Some time later, Thierry of Alsace brought another important relic back from the Holy Land – the Relic of the Holy Blood. According to tradition, he acquired it around the year 1150, following his participation in the Second Crusade. The relic, said to contain the blood of Jesus Christ, collected by Joseph of Arimathea, was reportedly given to him by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, or possibly even by the Byzantine Emperor. This sacred object quickly became the focus of deep veneration, and a new upper chapel was built to house it with appropriate reverence.

Although the basilica originally formed part of the Count of Flanders’ residence, over time the secular and religious functions of the site became separated. Local guilds and urban communities began to take part in services taking part in the chapel, marking a gradual shift from the chapel’s original private use to a more public and civic role. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when the chapels formally became a church, by the 15th century they were already functioning in practice as a pilgrimage church for the city. This status was formally recognised in 1923, when Pope Pius XI granted the church the title of a minor basilica, confirming its place as a fully established site of worship.

The Relic, the Brotherhood and the Procession

From the moment the relic of Holy Blood was placed in the chapel, it became an important site of pilgrimage, eventually contributing to the church’s reputation as one of the most significant places of Christian worship in the region. Over time, the cult of the Holy Blood became central to the identity of the church.

From the 13th century, the relic was venerated in increasingly formalised ways, most notably through the establishment of the Procession of the Holy Blood, which takes place annually on Ascension Day. In order to ensure the proper care and veneration of the relic, the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood was established in the early 15th century, most likely around 1400. Composed of prominent citizens of Bruges, often from the city’s patrician families, the brotherhood was given the solemn duty of safeguarding the relic and maintaining its place of honour within the chapel. From its inception, the brotherhood also took on the responsibility of organising the Procession.

The Procession of the Holy Blood, recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, draws thousands of spectators and remains one of the most important religious and civic traditions in Bruges. The relic – housed in a richly decorated reliquary – is removed from the Basilica following a morning Mass on Ascension Day and carried through the city by clergy and members of the Noble Brotherhood.

It’s quite easy to miss the Basilica from the outside, as the entrance façade doesn’t immediately suggest a church. The building is tucked away in the top right-hand corner of Burg Square, and although its façade is richly decorated, that alone doesn’t make it stand out — many buildings in Bruges look like that. This is not surprising, as the structure was originally part of a comital residence, not a religious building.

A close up onto the main entrance facade.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood may not be the most obvious stop on a visit to Bruges, but it’s certainly one of the most memorable. Its layered history, unique architecture, and quiet atmosphere offer a moment of calm and reflection in the heart of a busy medieval city. Sometimes, the most unexpected places leave the strongest impression.

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The Very Beautiful Chapel of Bruges. Holy Blood Basilica

The historic city of Bruges

2017 By justmovingaround in Sightseeing Tags: Belgium, Bruges, historic city, Medieval

A couple months ago, while on business in Brussels, I decided to make a short trip to Bruges located North-West of the European capital in a couple kilometers distance from the English Channel. I visited this city once and remembered it as full of medieval architecture and many water channels. That time I did not enjoy it much as it was quite heavily raining the whole day. This time the weather was just fine. So, I spent around four or five hours walking the streets of the historic medieval city of Bruges.

The area is told to be the most significant medieval city area preserved in Europe. First, it is to the fact that Bruges was one of the leading commercial centers in medieval Europe. Some historians even say that for some period, the most important one. The city was simply very rich, or at least many of its inhabitants, either locals or foreign ones, were very affluent people. (The inequalities led once or twice to social unrest and political interventions). Secondly, because besides a few smaller events, the city was neither devastated by a bigger fire nor leveled to the ground by warfare.

In general, it is true. But some additional explanation is needed here. The city was thriving in the early Middle Ages thanks to the tidal inlet that connected it with the sea. Its economic existence was, however, endangered as in the late XI and early XII century, a gradual silting caused the city to lose its direct access to the sea. A storm in 1134 re-established access through a natural channel. For years, Bruges was a thriving harbor connecting merchants from the North (England, Scandinavia), West (through Hanseatic League), and South (Italian merchant cities, Spain, Portugal). Merchant or trading usances developed by the city authorities and the merchant guilds became the very basis of the modern exchange trading.

Around 1500 slitting closed the channel for good. The city lost its position and many affluent inhabitants to nearby Antwerp. A decline that lasted for almost four hundred years began. Like other wealthy cities of Northern Europe, Bruges was looted in times of the religious wars in the XVI century, French Revolution and Napoleonic wars in the late XVII and XIX centuries). Much furniture, stained glass, paintings, and tapestries were destroyed or in later years sold to art dealers or antiquaries, who resold them internationally.

Bruges has the style of its own, and the buildings are for sure historical ones. However, early medieval Bruges, besides some brick Gothic architecture, was mainly a wooden city. Bruges, we can admire today, has in most parts brick facades with characteristic step gabbling. Only a few wooden structures are preserved. Thus, in the years between the Middle Ages and the present day, the city was reconstructed. The wooden facades were replaced as they had been susceptible to fire. The interior construction of many houses is, however, still of the past ages. The medieval origins of the city are mostly well preserved in its street pattern, with main roads leading towards the important public squares and the network of canals once used for the mercantile traffic. Most buildings have retained the original parcels of land. The actual revival of Bruges was a direct consequence of damage and thievery that plagued the city in the XVIII and XIX centuries. The local community, as well as many immigrants from England, fought to stop the practice and engaged in revitalizing the city. There is no sign of radical damage today. In fact, the city is very well taken care of. The ‘conservation movement’ also prevented the conversion of the city-style into a more modern look as it happened, for example, in Brussels. Bruges also seems to have missed the XIX century industrial revolution. The old/modern facades are described as of Neo-Gothic style that is specific for Bruges. The recent additions of XIX and XX centuries fit well the overall picture.

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The historical city of Bruges is not that initially medieval as it is often claimed, but still, it is one of the most interesting historical cities in Europe.

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Beurse. The very roots of exchange trading

2017 By justmovingaround in History Tags: Belgium, Bruges, exchange trading, history of exchange trading, Medieval trade

For many English speakers, the word ‘bourse’ would not arise any thought. But many Europeans will quite quickly associate it with exchange trading (commodity or stock trading).

The first official exchange (with written down rules and official building) for commodities and bills of exchange was established in Antwerp in the mid-XVI century. Quite quickly, other European trading centers followed. A half a century later in 1602, the Dutch East India Company issued the first equities that quite quickly were introduced into the Antwerp trading. For further two centuries commodity exchanges also shared securities trading, till around 1800 early pure stock exchanges had been established.

However, the first official exchanges did not emerge from nowhere. In the early middle ages, commodity trading at seasonal fairs was practiced in many European countries from South to North. But only in a few places, the trade was genuinely international. Later on, the so-called entrepot cities emerged where business was thriving all year long. One of the principal harbors that serviced that time the trading routes in Northern Europe was Bruges. (Due to some natural sea movement Bruges lost, however, its position to Antwerp in XVI century). So, merchants from all around Europe met in the city of Bruges to perform their trades.

Quite naturally, the local inns (taverns) were their meeting point. Innkeepers provided food and shelter to foreign merchants, but also warehousing space, commercial credit (even standing surety for their debts) and references. They connected foreigners with buyers or sellers and helped to negotiate deals. One of them was an inn called ‘The Three Purses’.

The restored Van der Beurse family house that replaced the original Three Purses tavern building. The building was sold to the Venetians and became their nation’s house. Although by far, it was not the first and only trading place in medieval Europe, its name is widely used in Europe to describe commodities and securities exchanges.

In front of it, at a little square, local and foreign brokers met to perform their trades. If it was raining, they moved inside. Or, they did so if they wanted to make their trade private. Trading in the opening was that time a condition by the local authorities, who wanted to oversee trade to later collect taxes. Trade was by far, not free in the middle ages. With time the trade took place within preset hours, and no non-traders were allowed to the site while the trading was taking place. The price quotations were displayed on the inn front wall. Soon foreign traders’ representations called ‘nation houses’ emerged in the vicinity of the square. The word ‘purse’ became the synonym for trading. With time the family owning ‘The Three Purses’ tavern changed their name to Van der Beurse. (‘Beurse’ in Dutch means ‘purse’ in English).

With time, the word purse (beurse) as a synonym for commodities and securities trading spread into many European languages: Börse (German), bolsa (Spanish), Borsa (Italy) and bourse (French). Even the English used the word burse for almost two centuries until it was replaced with ‘exchange‘.