The Basilica of the Holy Blood is one of the most famous sights in Bruges. Since the Middle Ages, an ampoule containing the blood of Christ has been kept in the oldest building on the Burgplatz. Since 1291, the relic has been carried through the city every year on Ascension Day as part of the solemn Holy Blood procession.
St. Basil's Chapel was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style. It houses the Gothic Basilica of the Holy Blood on the upper floor, which was reconstructed in the 19th century after being destroyed during the French Revolution.
The art treasures of St. Basil's Church
The lower chapel is the only Romanesque church in West Flanders to have been completely preserved unchanged. Its patron saint is Saint Basil the Great. The church was originally the family chapel of Count Dietrich of Alsace and later the count's chapel of his son Philip. St. Basil's Church houses a large number of church treasures in the nave. In addition to paintings and a depiction of the baptism of the church's patron saint, there are also several relics and reliquaries to admire. These include a relic of St. Basil. More recent are two sculptures that are carried in the procession of the Holy Blood on Ascension Day: a Pieta and a depiction of Christ.
The upper chapel of the Basilica of the Holy Blood
The ascent to the upper chapel through the magnificently decorated staircase from the 16th century is an experience in itself. In the chapel itself, three round arches are reminiscent of the original Romanesque construction. Gilded paintings, stained glass and murals tell the story of the church and its secular and clerical rulers in vivid colors. If you look closely, you can also discover the pictorial representation of the journey of the relic of the Holy Blood from Jerusalem to Bruges. It is kept in the basilica and presented to the faithful during the Friday Eucharist.
The Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges
On Ascension Day, the relic of the Holy Blood is carried through Bruges in a magnificent procession. In a sea of colors, clergymen solemnly carry the shrine past an estimated 50,000 visitors and believers. This Christian custom has been a fixture in Bruges since the 13th century. At that time, the guilds and guilds represented in the city, councillors and soldiers were obliged to join the procession. After several interruptions over the centuries, the Procession of the Holy Blood is now a celebration of the city's most powerful period in the 15th century and is held in the style of the time.
