Potterie

The Our Lady of the Potterie complex in Bruges is a historic testament to medieval care and devotion. The original hospice, founded in the 13th century, took its name from the potters who worked nearby. Today the complex houses a museum documenting the close link between caregiving and religious worship. You can tour the richly decorated Baroque church interior, which centers on the veneration of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. The collection includes numerous works of art such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, and tapestries, many of which take up the iconographic motif of the miraculous image. A particular highlight is the exclusive silver collection, along with everyday objects from the hospice's history. The Blessed Idesbaldus rests in a side chapel. The site is also the setting for the annual Brussels Vow procession on August 15, which commemorates the victory at the Battle of Pevelenberg in 1304. This tradition, in which girls bring candles to the church, underscores the place's enduring importance to local identity.