After centuries of being concealed, the newly restored private oratory in the Jerusalem Chapel of the Adornes family in Bruges has opened to the public this weekend. The historic gallery connecting the private residence to the Jerusalem Chapel has also undergone a complete conservation treatment.
The Jerusalem Chapel in Bruges is the private chapel of the noble Genoese Adornes merchant family. The chapel was consecrated in 1429 and subsequently completed by Anselm Adornes (1412–1483), inspired by his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and his visit to Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Jerusalem Chapel is located on the privately managed Adornes estate, which opened to the public in 2014.
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The private oratory can be seen in the upper left corner of this photo of the Jerusalem Chapel.
Photo: Adornesdomein
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The private oratory offers a perfect view of the altar and the funeral monument of Anselm Adornes en Margareta van der Banck.
Photo: Adornesdomein
The Concealed Oratory
Hidden in a corner of the Jerusalem Chapel is one of the most intimate spaces within the Adornes Domain: the family’s private oratory. This small chapel was previously inaccessible to view. It comprises a fully decorated corridor and an octagonal prayer chamber, which was used for discreetly following the services in the main Jerusalem Chapel. The oratory is connected to the private house via a gallery, a structure reminiscent of the Gruuthuse Palace, where Louis of Lodewijk van Gruuthuse established a connection between his residence and the Church of Our Lady in Bruges in 1472.
Like the rest of the Jerusalem Chapel, this devotional space was richly adorned with the family’s personal symbols; the cloud emblem, the Wheel of Saint Catherine, and the Jerusalem cross are notably present among the vault ribs. The paintings date from the beginning of the sixteenth century, with subsequent additions made in the nineteenth century.
Conservation and Accessibility
The restoration work on the oratory and the adjoining gallery was executed with meticulous respect for the authenticity of the spaces. The gallery required more extensive structural repairs. The two existing stained-glass windows were restored and reinstated, and a new window was installed, offering a view of the almshouses. During the work on the roof trusses, original wooden beams were uncovered, which are now once again visible.
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The private oratory is richly decorated.
Photo: Adornesdomein
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The octagonal roof of the private chapel.
Photo: Adornesdomein
While the public cannot enter the restored oratory itself—the space is exceptionally small and the mural paintings are fragile—a glass partition now allows visitors a direct view into this concealed chamber for the first time. The fifteenth-century gallery, which forms the link between the Jerusalem Chapel and the private house, is also accessible for viewing.
More pictures of the restored private chapel are available in this news item of the Flemish VRT.