Jerusalem Church (Jeruzalemkerk)

By the 15th century, Bruges was a wealthy town; thanks to patronage by the Dukes of Burgundy and its membership of the Hanseatic League, marketeers from all over Europe had a base there and traded with the rest of northern Europe through a busy river port at what is now the inland lake of Minnewater. One such rich entrepreneur was the merchant Anselm Adornes, who set off on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1407. On his return to Bruges, he built a church as a quasi-copy of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the center of his home city. It was consecrated in 1429 and stands amid the mansion and almshouses that still belong to the 17th generation of the Adornes family, who are now the counts of Limburg Stirum. The church itself is of soft red brick and has a distinctive, semi-circular tower with lacy detailing on its arcading and is topped by an onion-dome bearing a silver cross. Its interior is vaulted, with a sinister altar decorated with skulls, the black-marble coffin of Anselm Adornes and a replica of Christ’s tomb tucked away in the crypt behind the altar. Mass is held in the chapel every Saturday morning at 9am. A small museum in the almshouses relates the story of Anselm Adornes and his aristocratic descendants.

Practical Info

Peperstraat 1. Open Mon–Sat 10am–5pm. Admission is adults €7; seniors €5; aged between 7–26 €3.50; under 7 free; also free with the Bruges City Card. The Jerusalem Church is best reached on foot as much of central Bruges is pedestrianized; it is 10 minutes from the Markt.