Click on any image for a larger version
When I arrived in Brugge, and prior to joining former classmates from the College of Europe for our 50th anniversary dinner, I decided to drop in to the college itself on the Dijver. I had two things in mind. First, just to say hello and register my presence, and second, to compliment them on flying the EU flag the right way up. Not everyone does, as you will see from another post on this blog.
Well I met this lovely lady, Kristina, at reception who not only introduced me to every passing student, like a relic from the past, or, perhaps, to just reassure them that you could actually survive the college. Don't forget this is exam time and the student body gets a bit up tight around now.
Kristina suggested that I pay a visit to the Jerusalem chapel where she works herself part time. I remembered that I had a photo of this unusually shaped church from 1967/8 but I had never been in it. It was originally a private chapel built by the Adornes family as part of a huge estate in the middle of the town. The estate boasted a mansion, gardens and almshouses.
It's unusual appearance derives from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem which inspired its design. Its construction followed from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by Anselm Adornes. Note the crescent on top of the right hand turret. As, unusually, the chapel faces south, the crescent is on the east turret. It is balanced by the sun on the west turret. Neat.
The Adornes family were a well established part of the Brugge elite by the end of the 15th century. They were also a pious family and Anselm decided in 1470 to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This was a perilous journey in those days and not all who set out on it came back.
Anselm made it back but not without many difficulties and scrapes on the way. On his return he demolished the existing chapel and built the one we know today which is based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
Anselm's modern descendants have opened up the chapel to the public as a means of paying for its preservation and upkeep.
Before taking a look inside the chapel it is worth a brief look at the onsite museum. There is a short and very impressive video setting out the history of the family and the site and giving some background on Brugge in its heyday.
Brugge was then a seaport and a major trading city.
One part of the family were heavy into trading Alum. "This is a mineral used to fix the colour in cloth and make the fabric light and water resistant. As such it was an indispensable product for the manufacture of top-quality Flemish cloth, as well as having subsidiary applications in tanning and the glass industry. Given this context, it's not surprising that trade in Alum became one of the family's most important sources of income."
The trading routes were extensive as this map, taken from the video shows.
And so into the chapel itself. In the foreground, in the centre of the floor is the tomb of Anselm and his wife Margaret. All of her is there but most of him is buried in Linlithgow in Scotland where he was assassinated. Only his heart is in the tomb.
Behind is the first altar replete with representations of the instruments of Christ's passion - scary stuff. Behind this again a Calvary of the three crosses, and on a higher level a balcony with a second altar and plaques commemorating family members starting way back.
You can get a better idea of the main area and tomb looking down from the balcony.
There are many stained glass windows showing members of the family kneeling and flanked by relevant bishops.
First sight of the altar is quite a shock. It is like something from a Voodoo session.
It doesn't affect everyone the same way though. Another visitor beside me muttered something about snakes and ladders. It is intended to be sombre, commemorating Christ's passion, and displaying the instruments thereof.
right up to the angel with the crown of thorns.
Behind the altar is the Calvary of three crosses, and behind them the balcony.
This is quite a roomy balcony with its own altar and the walls are speckled with plaques of various sorts.
Most of these revolve around the birth and death of family members
This reliquary is on open display on the balcony. I don't know what it is of but will attempt to find out. I gather research into the matter is ongoing. Another PhD perhaps?
Photo: Marc Willems
Update: Since writing the above, I understand that Kristina and her merry band of volunteers have succeeded in identifying the relic as coming from the column where Christ was scourged. Ah well, another PhD possibility gone west.
This is clearly a baptism font, one of the many such unusual fonts in Brugge's churches.
The pulpit is something else. It is entered from the steps on the way up to the balcony.
But the NO ENTRY sign is quite clear, if you understand Flemish that is. I was tempted but resisted out of respect for this wonderful chapel.
That's more than I can say for the man who insisted on taking flash photos all over the place. Flash is forbidden and in any event it is not needed during daylight hours. He had gone by the time I got down from the balcony.
The ornamentation on the pulpit is very striking and relates to Christ's passion. This little angel carries the whipping post. Note the earlier relic on the balcony above.
And a full frontal view shows us Veronica's towel.
The Holy Sepulchre chapel is based on that in Jerusalem and this is the figure of the recumbent Christ. It was simply covered with a white sheet up to the 1920s at least, after which the latticework was installed. The figure used to be carried through the city during religious processions.
This reliquary, behind its protective ironwork, contains (what is said to be) a relic of the true cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment