Flemish primitives

In Bruges' Golden Age, the 15th century, the fine arts reigned supreme. In the wake of the Burgundian monarchy, the great Flemish primitives such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling settled in the city. These master painters lived and worked in the County of Flanders from the late 14th to early 16th centuries, hence the name. Their paintings, often expressing religious and moral values, adorned churches and private shrines alike. In the Groeningemuseum (Groeninge Museum), Museum Sint-Janshospitaal (St John's Hospital Museum), Sint-Salvatorskathedraal (St Saviour's Cathedral) and the O.L.V.-Kerk (Church of Our Lady), you can still admire the world-famous paintings they made here centuries ago. Nowadays, Bruges is generally considered to be the cradle of the Flemish primitives. It was one of the reasons UNESCO recognised Bruges as a World Heritage City in 2000.