--- title: "Church of Our Lady Bruges: Michelangelo | Karel de Stoute" url: https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/church-of-our-lady description: "The church is free; the museum part with Michelangelo's Madonna and the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold costs €10. Opening hours and what to see." lang: en --- Image: The brick tower of the Church of Our Lady in Bruges against a blue sky, above the roof of the church (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/assets/guide-church-of-our-lady-hero-BnjElKN6.webp) Sights Stop 5 on our walk # The Church of Our Lady in Bruges: Michelangelo's Madonna and the tombs of the Burgundian dukes Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Br%C3%BCgge_(B),_Liebfrauenkirche_--_2018_--_8572.jpg The Church of Our Lady is the brick church with the tall tower next to the Gruuthuse Museum. The church itself is free. The museum part, with Michelangelo's marble Madonna and Child and the gilt-bronze tombs of Mary of Burgundy and her father Charles the Bold, costs €10. It opens every day from 9:30 to 17:00, on Sundays only from 13:30. Staying in Bruges? Our nine rooms are a short walk from here. See the rooms (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/rooms) ## What is the Church of Our Lady? A wooden church stood here as early as the 9th century. The Gothic church you see was begun in the early 13th century; its choir was built in brick around 1270 to 1280, and the aisles followed over the next two centuries. Musea Brugge calls it a classic example of brick Gothic. Its tower, about 115 metres high, is one of the tallest brick towers in the world, and with the Belfry it marks the skyline of Bruges. Next to the choir, high up, you can see the small oratory of Louis of Gruuthuse, built around 1470, from which the lords of the palace next door followed Mass. ## Michelangelo's Madonna and Child The white marble Madonna and Child was carved by Michelangelo in the first years of the 16th century. It was meant for an altar in Siena, but in 1504 two Bruges merchants, the brothers Mouscron, bought it, and in 1514 it was given to the church. According to Visit Bruges it is the only work by Michelangelo that left Italy during his lifetime. It did not stay put. French troops took it to Paris in 1794; it came back after 1815. In 1944 German soldiers removed it in a Red Cross truck, wrapped in mattresses. It was found in the Altaussee salt mine in Austria and brought home, a story told in the film The Monuments Men (2014). ## The tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold In the choir lie two tombs in gilt bronze on black stone: Mary of Burgundy: the duchess died in 1482, at 25, after a fall from her horse. Her tomb was completed in 1501. Through a glass floor beneath it you can see her burial vault; her remains were identified in 1979. Richly painted graves were also found under the tombs. Charles the Bold: her father, the last Valois Duke of Burgundy, was killed at the Battle of Nancy in 1477. His tomb monument, by Jacques Jonghelinck, was completed in 1563, more than 80 years after his death. His remains were brought from Nancy in the 16th century, but whether the bones in Bruges are really his is still debated. Charles the Bold is the Karel de Stoute our hotel is named after: our house was built for him as a young prince. Our Charles the Bold guide tells his story. ## Other works to look for The Passion triptych by Bernard van Orley on the high altar. The Crucifixion by Anthony van Dyck, 1626. The Supper at Emmaus, once thought to be by Caravaggio. €10 Museum part, adult ticket ## Tickets ### The church free. ### The museum part (Madonna, tombs, choir) €10. Under 26 €9, under 18 €5, under 13 free. ### With the Gruuthuse Museum a combined ticket costs €19 and is valid for 72 hours. ### Musea Brugge Card and museumPASSmusées valid. ## Opening hours ### Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 17:00. Sunday: 13:30 to 17:00. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. ### Holidays 24 and 31 December until 16:00; closed on 25 December, 1 January and Ascension Day; other Catholic holidays from 13:30. Open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday. ### Weddings and funerals the church closes while they take place. There is no weekly closing day, so the church is a good choice on a Monday, when the Groeninge Museum and St John's Hospital are closed. ## Access and practical ### Wheelchairs the entrance is accessible with assistance (steep ramp), the museum part with assistance (some ramps). A tactile model lets visitors feel the Madonna. ### Toilets there are none in the church. ### Photos allowed without flash or tripod. ## How long do you need? As a guide: 30 to 45 minutes for the church and the museum part. With the combined ticket, the Gruuthuse next door takes about another hour. ## Getting there from Hotel Karel de Stoute The church is about 10 minutes on foot from our door on Moerstraat. On our walk through historic Bruges it is the fifth stop, after the Gruuthuse Museum and before St John's Hospital across the street. ## Frequently asked questions Is the Church of Our Lady in Bruges free? The church is free. The museum part with Michelangelo's Madonna and the tombs costs €10, or €19 combined with the Gruuthuse Museum. Where is Michelangelo's statue in Bruges? In the Church of Our Lady, in the museum part of the church, which needs a ticket. Is Charles the Bold buried in Bruges? His tomb monument stands in the choir of the Church of Our Lady, next to that of his daughter Mary of Burgundy. His remains were moved from Nancy in the 16th century, but whether they are really his is debated. Is the Church of Our Lady open on Sunday? Yes, from 13:30 to 17:00. On Sunday mornings it is closed to visitors. How tall is the tower of the Church of Our Lady? About 115 metres, one of the tallest brick towers in the world. Is the Church of Our Lady open on Monday? Yes, from 9:30 to 17:00. It has no weekly closing day. ## More guides All guides (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges#guides) - Burgundian history ### Charles the Bold and Burgundian Bruges The duke our house was built for, his wedding of 1468 and where to see his traces. Read the guide https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/charles-the-bold - Museums ### Gruuthuse Museum The palace of Louis of Gruuthuse: 500 years of Bruges in tapestries, lace and stained glass. Read the guide https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/gruuthuse-museum - Museums ### St John's Hospital and Hans Memling A 12th-century hospital with seven works by Hans Memling and a 17th-century pharmacy. Read the guide https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/st-johns-hospital ## On our walk The whole walk (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges#walk) 4 Previous stop ### The Gruuthuse Museum Read the guide https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/gruuthuse-museum 6 Next stop ### St John's Hospital Read the guide https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/bruges/st-johns-hospital Image: Horse carriages waiting on the Markt in front of the stepped gable houses (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/assets/explore-close-markt-carriages-DvfjOgsq.webp) ## Stay in a house built for Charles the Bold Moerstraat 23, five minutes from the Markt. Book here for €10 less than on Booking.com. Check Availability (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/booking) We use cookies to analyse traffic and improve your experience. Choose whether to accept them — read our cookie policy (https://www.chocolatehotel.be/en/cookies). 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On Sunday mornings it is closed to visitors." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How tall is the tower of the Church of Our Lady?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "About 115 metres, one of the tallest brick towers in the world." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the Church of Our Lady open on Monday?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, from 9:30 to 17:00. It has no weekly closing day." } } ] } ] ```