Jerusalem+Church

= Jerusalem Church =

History
Jerusalem Church is a church in Bruges that was built in 1428. It was built after a wealthy man returned home to Bruges after a long and arduous journey to Jerusalem. The man was inspired by his God to create for his religion; and so, after around a year, the church was completed. The wealthy man was a merchant from the Adornes family, and the church was built in his yard where the old wooden church of the town used to reside. The church was intended as a copy of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem church, also known as Jeruzalemkerk, is simple compared to other churches and cathedrals, such as Notre Dame or St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican, yet contains many stylistic elements both inside and out that make the church a simple wonder.

What's there?
The front of the church looks like a massive stone house- the two walls that make up the sides of the church are plain, and rise sharply to a point at the top once past the windows in the front wall along with the door. Farther down the building towards the back is a beautiful octagonal tower that rises high into the sky. The top is golden, and at the tip of the tower a golden cross sits on a green sphere. The tower contains lots of windows, and is very symmetrical. The windows in the whole church are stained glass, and show a member of the merchant's family, as well as their patron saint. Inside, there are tons of references to Jerusalem and Christ, including the alter, which has images engraved on it that reference Christ's death, including a crown of thorns, nails, and bones.

What's Going on Now
Jerusalem Church is located at Peperstraat 1, 8000 Brugge, Belgium. visitors are welcome to come to the church any day of the week except Sunday, and the church is open from 10 AM to 7 PM Monday through Saturday. Tourists can view the spectacular alter and walk down the steps that reside in the corner of the room to get there, or can venture farther down into the crypts. People will also see a coat of arms for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (a group of dedicated Christians), and the three symbolic crosses at the top near the alter.

Katie Moran

https://bezoekers.brugge.be/en/jeruzalemkapel-brugge-jerusalem-chapel http://philipcoppens.com/bruges_jer.html