O.L.V.-kerk Museum
Photo: originally posted to Flickr as Church Of Our Lady — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The O.L.V.-kerk Museum in Bruges showcases Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, royal tombs, and Gothic art.
Planning your visit
The Church of Our Lady in Bruges holds Michelangelo's Madonna and Child, and its presence here is unusual: it is the only sculpture by Michelangelo to have left Italy during his lifetime, bought by a Bruges cloth merchant family in 1504 and given to the church. The Madonna looks away from the child rather than at him, and the composition is quieter than his later work.
It has been taken twice — by French revolutionary forces and by the Germans in 1944, recovered by the Monuments Men, an episode dramatised in the film.
The choir museum holds the tombs of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter Mary, whose death in a riding accident in 1482 ended Burgundian independence and passed the Low Countries to the Habsburgs. Excavated painted grave niches are visible beneath.
The brick spire is the tallest in Belgium at 115 metres. Allow an hour. The main booking is a museum ticket. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is O.L.V.-kerk Museum?
O.L.V.-kerk Museum is in Bruges, Belgium. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for O.L.V.-kerk Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Is O.L.V.-kerk Museum free to enter?
Yes, general admission to O.L.V.-kerk Museum is free. Guided tours and special exhibitions may still be charged separately.
Do I need to book O.L.V.-kerk Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
