Description of the attraction
One of the most picturesque squares in Bruges called Burg is built up with houses dating from different eras. There is also the Basilica of the Holy Blood on it, which was built in two stages. The lower part of the basilica, and this is the chapel of St. Basil, was erected in 1139-1149 by order of the Count of Flanders Diederic of Alsace. According to local legend, the count brought some of the Blood of Jesus from the Holy Land, for the storage of which he erected this chapel - the only one in Belgium that has survived to our time in its original form. Medieval Pieta is considered its main treasure.
The blood of Christ is preserved in a richly decorated reliquary. On holidays, it is solemnly carried through the streets of Bruges.
Above the chapel of St. Basil, which for a long time was the home chapel of the Counts of Flanders, a Romanesque church was built, which was rebuilt in the Gothic manner in the 15th century. You can go down to the lower chapel by a beautiful Renaissance staircase built in the first half of the 16th century.
During the French occupation, the Church of the Holy Blood was destroyed: furniture and unique bright stained glass windows were damaged. They were replaced during reconstruction at the end of the 19th century. During the Second World War, due to air strikes, the stained glass windows were again broken. Their restoration took place in 1967.
In one of the chapels of the Church of the Holy Blood, another shrine is kept - particles of the relics of St. Basil. It is also worth seeing the unusual pulpit, made in 1728 of wood in the form of a ball, symbolizing the whole world.
The church has a museum dedicated to its rich past. There are also numerous works of art that have been collected by local pastors.
