Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Museum of the Church of Our Lady)
The 115.5 metres high brick tower of the Church of Our Lady is a perfect illustration of the craftsmanship of Bruges’ artisans. The church displays a valuable art collection: Michelangelo’s world-famous Madonna and Child, countless paintings, 13th-century painted sepulchres and the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold. Useful to know: at the moment, large-scale renovation works are still being carried out, so the church is only partially accessible and many works of art cannot be viewed. The choir was renovated in 2015 and the remarkable church interior can now once again be admired in all its splendour.
Collection
The absolute highlight is Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child from 1505. The choir contains the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold. Above the alter hangs a triptych showing the passion of Christ, by the official court painter of Margaret of Austria, Bernard van Orley.
It’s impossible to miss this church. Its brick tower is over 115,5 metres tall and therefore quite literally the high point of Brugean building craft. Inside, a world of art treasures awaits you, from paintings and wooden carvings to the magnificent 16th century tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold, and painted tombs from the 13th and 14th centuries. But the real highlight is, of course, Michelangelo’s world famous 'Madonna and Child'.