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Hymn to love
05 Mar 2009
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The story is more than five hundred years old. It is of Marguerite of Austria and her prince, whom she tenderly loved and who prematurely died, Philibert le Beau. In his honour, this emperor’s granddaughter and princess of Savoie, had a jewel of the heritage built, the Monastère Royal de Brou in Bourg en Bresse. A pure masterpiece of blazing Gothic style; obviously, very moving …

Bourg-en-Bresse (01) - Eglise gothique de Brou (classée M. H.) - Photo Région Urbaine de Lyon

The Brou church in Bourg en Bresse is one of the most admired sites in France. One can see there three princely graves, as well as three cloister monastery on several levels, housing a museum with varied collections dating from the end of the 15th century to the present day.

Strangely, this religious ensemble, preserved in an exceptional manner with its wooden sculptures, the choir stone and stained glass windows, which make it a high rate French-Flemish art museum of the beginning of the 15th century, is a quasi-profane building. No mass has ever been celebrated there, but Marguerite of Austria built it with splendour in homage to her beloved husband, who died when he was twenty four years old.

Bourg-en-Bresse (01) - Eglise gothique de Brou

The daughter of the Emperor Maximilien 1st and granddaughter of Charles Le Téméraire, laid the foundation stone of the building on August 28th 1506. A few months later she was named Regent of the Netherlands, allowing her to meet and give work to artists from Flanders and France, working to her requirements.

The Flemish grave and altarpiece statuary, the stalls and storied stained glass are also masterpieces. The nave is sober, but it is to better contrast with the wealth of the choir. The rood-screen (one of the rare remaining in France) possesses a blazing decoration which announces all the ornamental magnificence of the chancel around the graves.

In the middle of 1990s, a large-scale restoration was undertaken, with notably the restoration of the original roof with its two sloping sides covered with varnished and coloured tiles.

In 1530, Marguerite of Austria was buried beside her Lord. The two recumbent effigies represent them eternally young and beautiful.

Informations pratiques
Monastère Royal de Brou, church and museum, in Bourg en Bresse (Ain)
63, boulevard de Brou
Tel.: 00 33 (0)4 74 22 83 83
brou@monuments-nationaux.fr
brou.monuments-nationaux.fr
Tariffs and visits:
Open every day except public holidays from 9 am till 12 am and from 2 pm till 5 pm, from October 1st till March 31st – and from 9 am till 6 pm from April 1st till September 30th
Visits adapted for handicapped people
Audio guides are available in French, English, German, Italian and Dutch
Tel.: 00 33 (0)4 74 22 83 82
Full tariff 7 € – 4,50 € for 18 to 25 years old and free for young children
Ain District Committee
ain-tourisme.com
Tags : Ain, Exhibitions and heritage, Going out
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