Saint Magdalena / Madeleine in Brugge
Schaarstraat z/n
8000 Brugge
Church | 1853 | Neogothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 March
Mon 13.00 - 17.00
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri 13.00 - 17.00
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
01 April - 31 December
Mon 13.00 - 17.00
Tue 13.00 - 17.00
Wed 13.00 - 17.00
Thu 13.00 - 17.00
Fri 13.00 - 17.00
Sat 13.00 - 17.00
Sun 13.00 - 17.00
Plan your visit
The church is closed on 1/1, 24/12, 25/12 and 31/12.
During celebrations the church is not open for visitors.
Guided tour
+32 50 33 68 18
The audio guide (in Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish and Bruges) takes you on a spiritual journey through ten elements in the church building.
Description
The Saint Magdalena church in Queen Astrid Park situated in the Bruges town centre was built between 1851 and 1853 and is a design by the Bruges architect Pierre Buyck, with English master builder Thomas Harper as his instructor. In the sixties, as a consequence of a lack of interest in the neo-gothic style, the colorful interior of the church was completely painted white and a substantial part of the furniture and stained-glass windows were lost, which were to be restored in the eighties.
“Bruges cultural capital of 2002” was the incentive to start up a pilot project at the church which was to think about how a church building can be revalued as a place of spirituality for a broad spectrum of people. The project was named 'YOT', an experiment around space, people and religion.
For the redecoration of the church, architectural agency TCCT was consulted which converted the church into a polyvalent spiritual space which stimulates the faithful to experience their faith in a modern and personal way.
Every year, YOT organises an interactive summer project with new spiritual stimuli. Furthermore, various formations, lectures and workshops are organised around worldview and Christian heritage.
Photos
Media
Remarkable elements
Swing
YOT aims to bring movement to the realm of meaning and spirituality. On the swing, attached to the roof truss at 17 metres, you can embrace the lightness of existence, dream between heaven and earth or see things from a different perspective for a moment.
Chapel of Mary
The Chapel of Mary is an excellent example of what YOT stands for. Contemporary artists enter a dialogue with the traditional icon of the Holy Virgin of the Everlasting Assistance. Painter Jan De Wachter created a Mother of Tenderness. Artist Geert Bisschop recreates the theme of the Message of The Holy Virgin Mary in his light installation that says ‘’Yes’’.
Tantalus
Inside the church you will find two monumental works of art by Bruges artist Piet Peere. They are tantalus figures from Greek mythology.
Neogotic 'Gesamtkunstwerk'
Pierre Buyck, an architect from Bruges, drew the plans for the Magdalena church in approximately 1848 pursuant to the instructions of master builder Thomas Harper and his mentor Pugin, both at home in the then very anglophile city of Bruges. The result was a remarkable construction that was put south of the former domain of the Friar minors between 1850 and 1853. When the interior of the church was finished in 1910 a unique neogothic "Gesamtkunstwerk" had come into existence. Architecture, decoration, furniture and the use of colours were all tuned into each other. The neogothic candleholders with their little angelic figures that lean against the pillars are striking. They form a double row of light leading up to the front of the church.
Stained-glass windows
The chancel misses the old main altar, bit still contains the original choir stalls and five stained-glass windows. In the middle we see the Holy Trinity depicted together with the donor countess Molès de Bailly and her patron saint. At the left side pope Pius IX, he ruled as pope in 1862, is depicted together with Saint-Peter and the donor of the stained-glass window with his patron saint. The stained-glass-window originates from the workshop of Samuel Coucke. Furthermore, the church contains a stained –glass window dated 1901 from the atelier Dobbelaere. It depicts the Holy Saint Mary Magdalene, H. Augustine, H. Henricus and H. Mathilde. The H. Clemens Hofbauer and the H. Francis are depicted above the doorways. They remind visitors of the former monastery. The church has 16 stained-glass-windows that were restored in 2008.
Framework
An open window separates the YOT church from the more intimate conference space of the faithful. From both sides it shows ‘the far side’. This symbolic window is also a functional one, it contains a projection screen that can be used on both sides to project texts or images.
Nearby
Circuit
Religious heritage in Bruges: walk with the precursors of the faith!
Together with the deanery of Bruges, Open Churches released a brochure describing a walk through Bruges, guiding you along the 11 principal churches in the town centre. The 9 km route invites you to walk in the footsteps of the pastors of our faith. You can explore the splendour and grandeur of our religious heritage and discover the legends and tales which surround the life of our saints and patron saints.
