History Visit The tombs The museum Information History Visit The tombs The museum Information History Visit The tombs The museum Information History Visit The tombs The museum Information ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ English

Glossary The princely tombs A museum in a monastery

Chapter House: place where the monks meet The symbol of great dynasties Ancient sculptures to read a chapter of their rules (capitulum) and to discuss important matters. The recumbent statues perpetuate in stone the The refectory houses some ancient sculptures Cross-ribbed : supported by at least two power of the great princely dynasties. Initiated from the church in Brou and from other religious diagonal ribs and two transversal arches, in the 12th century with the Necropolis of the foundations in the area. The group with Saint Masterpiece of an emperor’s daughter called double arches. Plantagenets in Fontevraud, this tradition Philibert, Philibert the Handsome and Saint Andrew Misericord: a ledge fixed to the underside of flourished at the Abbey of Saint-Denis when are the only surviving elements of the original An act of love a choir stall, enabling the monks to sit discreetly Saint Louis had sixteen recumbent statues of sculpture on the west gate of the church of Brou, during services while appearing to be still sovereigns sculpted and placed in the crossing. In damaged during the French Revolution. Built in the early 16th century, Brou is the standing. th the 15 century, the Dukes of Burgundy, ancestors masterpiece that Margaret of Austria, daughter : the office of procurator, the monk Procuracy of Margaret of Austria, had magnificent tombs Paintings of Emperor Maximilan I of Habsburg and in charge of the material interests of the built in Dijon. Margaret’s project was part of Mary of Burgundy had built community. this movement, aiming to match the tomb that On the first floor, in the former cells, are displayed: to commemorate her love : funeral alcove set into a wall. th th Recess her father Maximilian had had built in Innsbruck, 16 century paintings, 17 century Flemish and for her deceased husband : vertical decoration behind the altar. Reredos or that which Anne of , her rival, ordered French paintings, examples of the Caravaggio Philibert the Handsome, : partition separating the choir from th Rood screen for her parents in . school, 19 century landscapes, troubadour art Duke of Savoy. the . and more recent works. The portraits of Margaret Sibyls: pagan prophetesses one of whom, it is Recumbent, cadaver and weeping of Austria and Charles V by Van Orley are of note, A religious foundation believed, announced the coming of Christ. Traducteo. Imprimé en , 2018. statues in Brou as is The Swan Hunt by Jan Brueghel the Elder. A collection of works by Gustave Doré is exhibited The Royal Monastery of Brou replaced a Visitor information Designed by Jean Van Roome, known as Jean de alongside works by Jean-François Millet and Benedictine priory built on the site of a Gallo- Bruxelles, the tombs were sculpted in a Brabant Gustave Moreau. Roman and then Burgundian necropolis. Shortly Average length of visit: 110 minutes workshop, as shown by their Mannerist style. The after the death of Philibert in 1504, Margaret set Guided tours: 75 minutes. Audio guide tours. great recumbent statues are ascribed to Conrad The decorative arts about fulfilling the vow made by her mother-in-law,

Visits adapted to disabled visitors. traduction Forestier. Marie-Hélène Meit, a German artist attached to the princess’s Marguerite de Bourbon, to rebuild the priory. court in Mechlin, and who came to Brou in 1526. A collection of Renaissance furniture from the Lyon The arrangement of the tombs of Margaret of region, 18th century objets d’art and 19th century A political gesture Gift and book shop Austria and her husband was inspired by the furniture from Bresse are on display, as well as The guide to this monument is available in the Itinéraires collection Regent of the Netherlands for almost a quarter in 4 different languages from the gift and book shop. princely funeral rites, where a life size model in a collection of Meillonnas earthenware. of a century, Margaret of Austria oversaw from ceremonial dress was displayed on a catafalque Mechlin the work on the monastery destined to Centre des monuments nationaux above the coffin. Above, the statue is a realistic Monastère royal de Brou réalisation plaire. graphique pour Tout Contemporary art house three tombs: her own, and those of Philibert 63 boulevard de Brou portrait at the moment of death; below, the cadaver, and his mother. Margaret died in 1530 and was 01000 Bourg-en-Bresse naked in its shroud, is represented according to For these paintings, the museum has opted for tél. 04 74 22 83 83 buried there as soon as the church was completed [email protected] Medieval tradition: hoping for Resurrection, the “contemplative” abstract works: silent, restrained in 1532. Listed as a national monument in 1791, transfigured face turned towards the east and the and meditative art, in keeping with the atmosphere Brou saw some of its monastic buildings ceded

www.monastere-de-brou.fr de J.-C. Golvin. illustration www.monuments-nationaux.fr eyes open to a new dawn… of the monastery. in 1921 to the town of Bourg-en-Bresse, which

dessin dessin installed its museum there, while the State retained the ownership of the church and the guests’ cloister. History Visit The tombs The museum Information ▲

ground floor D Royal dimensions A reception - ticket desk black marble bench. The great stained-glass window The domestic cloister N B gift and book shop 19 C lift for disabled visitors of the Assumption was inspired by Dürer, and the Placed under the protection of Louis XIV in the D toilets frieze above, the “Triumph of Faith”, by Titian. A 18 The third cloister was for utilitarian buildings, 17th century, the complex comprises three cloisters, upstairs rooms 18 huge alabaster reredos*, by the artists of Brabant, and was thought of after work had begun. It unique in France, and over 4,000m² of buildings 10 is dedicated to the “Seven Joys of the Virgin”. consists of three upper and lower covered galleries 11 8 7 13 20 17 for a community of Augustinian monks. 9 16 21 12 The Gorrevod chapel has a stained-glass window in the style of Bresse, abutting the west side of the 5 24 22 depicting Saint Thomas’ disbelief, and also main building, which was already finished. Not representing Laurent de Gorrevod, the Governor far from the refectory, it led on the south side The guests’ cloister 12 6 6 4 of Bresse, a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and his to the kitchen and the warming house, and on  on the ground floor was 2 wife. The former high altar of the church is now the east side to the ovens, the procurator’s office , 1 This first cloister 1 * surrounded by rib vaulted galleries*, and upstairs, in this chapel. the servants’ quarters and a prison. covered galleries. A “transition zone” between 23 Paved with pebbles, it consisted of a well covered 3 the outside world and the monks’ community, The upper galleries of by a pavilion roof. A 1990 work by the German 14 it accommodated visiting guests. the guests’ cloister sculptor Ulrich Rückriem has been placed along A B D the north gallery. These four steles commemorate The church (1513-1532) C 15 From Margaret of Austria’s oratory (11) and the the priors of Brou buried in the church. Entrance Exit Gorrevod chapel (12), take the stairs up to 19 The procurator’s office* now accommodates The church is a High Flemish Gothic masterpiece 7 The tomb of Margaret of Bourbon, set in a the top of the rood screen*, which served not only “What a project!” highlighting the skills of built by Louis Van Boghem, the master builder recess* in the south wall, is surrounded by rich to separate the choir from the nave, but also the builders and restorers. from Brussels chosen by Margaret of Austria. decorations. The weeping statues are reminiscent to assist with circulation. 20-21 The kitchens and the vaulted cellar: undergoing 2 The south is adorned with a stained-glass of those on the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy 13 Margaret’s corridor enabled the Princess to return refurbishment. window that tells the story of Susanna. Antoine in Dijon. in complete privacy to her apartments from her 22 The refectory is the largest rib-vaulted* room de Montecuto’s chapel opens off to the right. This 8 The tomb of Philibert the Handsome occupies private chapel. in the monastery. chaplain to the princess is represented in the stained- the middle of the choir. Ten elegant Sibyls* watch 14 Margaret of Austria’s apartments consisted glass window of Emmaus Pilgrims. over it from the surrounding niches. of three interconnecting rooms designed to The monks’ cloister 3 The rib vaulted* nave, lined with side and 9 The tomb of Margaret of Austria, with its accommodate the Princess and her entourage. chapels, with bare walls, imposing pillars and plain monumental stone canopy and statuettes, recalls They now form an area dedicated to her life 23 The great cloister, majestically laid out, has the glass windows, is intentionally sober to contrast the imposing catafalques of princely funerals. and her work. same arrangement of upper and lower galleries with the sumptuousness of the choir. 10 The five stained-glass windows of the choir were 15 The “States” room is the formal gallery in as the first cloister. It was designed for the monks 4 The rood screen*, bursting with exuberant stone produced between 1525 and 1531 from drawings Margaret of Austria’s private apartments designed to walk in. Two elements of a 1985 sculpture vegetation, gives a foretaste of the splendour made in Brussels. The central window, based to house collections of Renaissance art. by the American Richard Serra invite the visitor of the choir. on engravings by Dürer, shows the apparitions to walk around this cloister. 5 The huge, richly decorated choir is filled with stone of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene and the The sleeping quarters - museum lacework. Pink and white render on the vaults gives Virgin Mary. The side windows are devoted to The monks’ building a stone effect. The floor was originally paved the princely couple: on the left, Philibert the 16 The sleeping quarters and cells were on the first with coloured tiles of which a few traces remain Handsome being presented by Saint Philibert floor of the main building. There were around 24 The main building, in addition to the refectory at the base of the tombs. of Tournus, and on one and a half panes, the twenty cells along a wide corridor known as the and sleeping quarters upstairs, houses the Chapter 6 The oak stalls, on either side of the choir, are heraldry of his ancestors (the Houses of Savoy dormitory, with a stone lantern on the corner of House*, looking directly out on to the monks’ ornately worked. The scenes and the characters and Bourbon); on the right, Margaret of Austria the landing. These spaces now accommodate cloister. The sacristy and the visiting room were from the Old Testament on the south side, and from and Saint Margaret face him, with the coats of a Fine Arts museum. situated next to the guests’ cloister. These rooms the New Testament on the north, with their lively arms of the Houses of Habsburg and Burgundy. 17 The Prior’s apartments, embellished with wooden are now used for temporary exhibitions. forms, are from a Flemish workshop, whereas the 11 Margaret of Austria’s chapel has a particularly flooring and panelling, show a more comfortable misericords* are probably the work of Bresse artists. finely worked decoration: a white alabaster and 18th century living environment. *Explanations overleaf.