The Holy Grail of Bruges, a New Jerusalem

The Holy Blood of Christ seems to have turned medieval Bruges (in Flanders, Belgium) into a Holy City. It's what, since the 19th century, made tourism popular in Bruges. But maybe this Holy City is not as holy as it seems, just because of this Precious Holy Blood that... well, could be pretty unholy.

In his poem Brugge (Bruges), the famous Flemish priest-poet Guido Gezelle who was born in Bruges (1830), described the city as a copy of the Holy Land, with its great Gothic churches called Jerusalem, Nazareth or Bethlehem... and of course, because of the Holy Blood that was brought here during the crusades. The Jerusalem Church, in the quiet St. Anna Quarter, is maybe the most remarkable of all these churches that dominate the skyline of Bruges. It was built in the 15th century as a scale model of the Holy Sepulcher by Anselmus Adornes and his wife, and with a rather morbid fake tomb of Christ in it. The Jerusalem Church is still intact and privately owned by the descendants of the Adorni family, who were merchants from Genoa.

Of course, this was all a result of the Coming of the Holy Blood to Bruges. According to an old legend Derrick of Alsace, Count of Flanders (Thierry d'Alsace in French, Diederik van den Elzas in Dutch) received the relic of the Holy Blood out of the hands of the Templars and his brother-in-law who also was the King of Jerusalem: Baldwin III of Anjou. This happened because of his exceptional heroism during the second crusade and with the approval of the patriarch of Jerusalem. In april 1150, the relic arrived in Bruges, accompanied by some Templars, the Count of Flanders, his wife Sybilla of Anjou and Leonius, the abbot of Saint Bertin's abbey of Saint Omar (in those days a Flemish city, now a French city). They brought the Holy Blood of Christ to the Chapel of Saint Basilius on the Burg Square, where it still is displayed every Friday, before and after the mass, to be venerated by the faithful.

In the early 15th century, the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood was founded. Its 31 members have to be citizens of Bruges and "honorable people". The purpose of the Brothers is to safeguard the relic and its veneration. On ceremonial occasions, they wear a black silken tabard on which a pelican is embroidered.

The adoration of the relic also is what the internationally famous Procession of the Holy Blood is all about. This first rank touristic and folkloristic attraction is held every year in the spring, on Ascension Day, and this since 1291. Each year some 50.000 pilgrims are present to see more than 1800 actors in historical and biblical scenes, and - of course - the bishop of Bruges carrying the relic through the streets.

In the Procession the Templars don't show up, and maybe that even can't be called strange. In 1307, under pressure of King Philip IV of France, many of the Order's members were arrested (mainly in France), tortured into giving false confessions and burned at the stake. Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The charges? Religious heresy and sexual misconduct. 

Full story here!