Jeruzalemkerk, Bruges, Belgium

This beautiful church was consecrated in 1429 and since inception has been the private chapel of the Adornes family, an Italian merchant family from Genoa who moved to Bruges in the 13th century. The church was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchral in Jerusalem, Jacob Adornes and his brother Pieter II had been there on pilgrimage. The Adornes family attempted to replicate much of the architecture and layout of the church in Jerusalem. The highlights of the church are the ornate tomb of Anselmus Adornes and his wife Margareta van der Banck, the altar dotted with memento mori and the relic of part of the Holy Cross. The rear of the church houses a replica of the tomb of Jesus, with candles and pictures of the many people who have visited here and commemorated their loved ones. The whole chapel is open to the public and the Adonres family have even provided a beautiful living room with tea and coffe making facilities, where one can sit down and pick a book from the shelves or complete a jigsaw! The current generation of the family still live in the estate that encapsulates the church.

GPS: 51.21234, 3.23372

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.