Holy Blood Basilica Bruges, Belgium | St. Basil Chapel | Holy Blood Church

Points of Interest
The Holy Blood church was built above the existing 12th century chapel.
The chapel was built during the time of the 2nd Crusade, and is the site of the oldest chapel in Bruges.
It is also home to a vial that is reputed to contain the blood of Christ.

The Legend/Myth
Joseph of Arimathea had wiped some of Christ’s blood after his crucifixion and preserved it.
The King of Jerusalem, Baldwin III gave the relic to his borther-in-law Theoderic Count of Flanders. After his return from the 2nd Crusade, Theoderic brought with him a vial which he claimed contained the blood of Christ. The relic arrived in Bruges on April 7, 1150 and it was placed in the chapel.
An alternate theory of it’s arrival is that in 1204 during the 4th Crusade, the army of the Count of Flanders, Baldwin IX sacked Constantinople. It is believe that he may have retrieved the relic and returned it to Bruges. The design of the vial is consistent with other vials that were produced in Constantinople.

St. Basil Chapel
Entry through the left archways
Built in the early 12th century, commissioned by Theoderic Count of Flanders, who fought in the second crusade. The chapel became a home for the vial that reputedly contains the Holy Blood. It’s not known exactly how this vial came in to possession of the Count of Flanders and when it was placed in the chapel.
The chapel also housed the relics of Saint Basil, who lived in Ceasarea, in modern day Isreal, in the 4th Century. Known as “Saint Basil the Great” he was a bishop of the early church and was declared a saint soon after his death. He is remembered for creating guidelines for the monastic life.
The only fully preserved church in the Romanesque style in West Flanders.
Heel was sculpted by De Wispelaere from Bruges and is Mary holding the body of Jesus on her knees.
Madonna with a Child
The Chapel of St. Ives is from 1504 and holds the relics of St. Basil and Charles the Good, Count of Flanders.
Charles the Good traveled to the holy land in the early 12th century and was even offered the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but declined it.
He was assassinated while kneeling in prayer under orders of a powerful family that had been involved in price gouging grain during a famine.
Originally the chapel was a private chapel to the count of Flanders, and was accessed from his residence in the current town hall. You can still see the original entrance, here, crowned with a 12th century semi-circular sculpture, called a tympanum, which is the oldest antique sculpture in Bruges. It depicts the baptism of St. Basil.
The baptism is in the Jordan River performed y Maksymilian, Bishop of Jerusalem, with the holy spirit represented as a dove.
Ecce Homo, also referred to as Jesus on a cold stone or Jesus on a small wooden plinth, is a sculpture of pine trees by D’Hondt from Bruges that was made around 1900. You’ll notice that there are worn areas on the sculpture due to believers rubbing the sculpture.

Staircase
They were built in the Renaissance style in 1533.
Vaulted ceiling & stained glass

Holy Blood Church
The church was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style just as the chapel below.
It was then rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 15th century.
The church was heavily damaged in the 16th century and then in 1795 during the French Revolution.
In 1829 it was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style. It was in 1923 that Pope Pius XI gave the chapel and church the title of Minor Basilica.
The main altar is decorated with bas-relief from the 17th century and depicts the last supper.
The large painting behind the altar is the Mystery of the Cross and is from 1905.
On the upper part Jesus is dying on the cross with Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the background.
The lower part depicts the relics being transported with the blood of Christ from Jerusalem to Bruges. On the left is the collection of the relic by Theoderic Count of Flanders from King Baldwin III of Jerusalem. While on the right he is delivering the relic to a priest while next to the Countess of the Sybil of Anjou.

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