Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2.8. Basilica of the Holy Blood
This church is one of the most iconic religious buildings in all of Bruges and it dates right
back to the 12th century when it was the residence of the Count of Flanders.
The Basilica is best known for housing a relic of Holy Blood, a worshiped phial (like a flask)
containing a cloth which is said to hold the blood of Jesus Christ. The phial is said to have
been brought to Bruges by Thierry of Alsace during the Second Crusade, 1147 - 1149 (re-
cent evidence suggests that the phial was actually brought to Bruges sometime after the year
1250).
While the Holy Blood is a big drawcard for the Basilica, the church itself is extremely well
preserved for its age and is worth visiting. Its consists of a lower chapel called the Saint
Basil Chapel (which was built in Romanesque style), and an upper chapel, which in the 13th
century was named the Chapel of the Holy Blood.
The centrepiece of this chapel is a stunning representation of the baptism of Saint Basil
which was created in the 12th century.
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