The story of Church of Our Lady

Look up: at 115.6 metres, the brick tower of this church is still the tallest structure in Bruges, and the third tallest brickwork church tower in the world. Inside waits a rare treasure, a white marble Madonna and Child by Michelangelo, completed in 1506. It was probably meant for Siena Cathedral, but after a disagreement over money Michelangelo had it sent privately to two Bruges merchants, the brothers Jan and Alexander Mouscron, and in 1514 it was donated to this church.

While Michelangelo was alive, it was the only sculpture of his to leave Italy. Twice it was carried off by foreign occupiers, by French revolutionaries around 1794 and by Nazi Germans in 1944, and twice it was recovered.

Behind the high altar lie Charles the Bold, last Valois Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter Mary, their gilded bronze figures resting on black stone, Charles in full armour. And one chapel was created in 1482 as the private place of worship of Lodewijk van Gruuthuse.