⛪ Basilica of the Holy Blood (Bruges)
Belgium
About This Sacred Site
The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) in Bruges is a 12th-century chapel in the Burg square that houses a revered relic said to contain a cloth with the blood of Jesus Christ, brought to Bruges from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders, after the Second Crusade in 1149. The relic is displayed to the faithful every Friday and is the centerpiece of the annual Procession of the Holy Blood (Heilig Bloedprocessie), a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event.
Key Facts
- •Houses a relic said to contain the blood of Christ, brought from Jerusalem in 1149
- •The relic is displayed to the faithful every Friday afternoon
- •The annual Procession of the Holy Blood, held on Ascension Day, dates to at least 1303
- •The Procession was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009
- •The basilica has two levels: a Romanesque lower chapel and a neo-Gothic upper chapel
Location
Coordinates: 51.2083, 3.2266
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