Hospitaalmuseum
Two medieval hospital buildings in the centre of Bruges are enjoying a new lease of life as museums.
Sint-Janshospitaal
Sint-Janshospitaal was once the city’s largest institution for the sick, the poor, and the needy. The monks and nuns who worked there left behind them a great many stories, objects, and artworks. This 800-year old building now also houses displays of furniture, paintings, and sculptures. An apothecary’s, with its medicinal herb garden and healthcare reference library, paints a picture of health care throughout the centuries.
The museum is known the world over for its masterpieces by one of the most famous of the Flemish Primitives, Hans Memling.
O.L.V.-ter-Potterie
The hospital of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Potterie has existed since the 13th century. The worship of a miraculous painting of the Madonna gave the church its status as a place of pilgrimage, and this accounts for the elaborate decoration of the church interior.
The museum collection includes hospital objects and a number of artworks. The impressive silverware collection is also well worth a trip to Bruges’ ‘quiet quarter’.
