O.L.V.-van Blindekenskapel (Chapel of Our Lady of the Blind)
The O.L.V.-van Blindekenskapel (Chapel of Our Lady of the Blind), which dates back to 1305, is a stone's throw from Smedenstraat. Since it was founded, the procession of Our Lady of the Blind has left from here on 15 August every year.
The chapel was set up to accommodate 13 blind people with a companion. Over time, seven almshouses were built around it.
Inside the small house of worship hangs a miniature ship, an offering that was left there after a grain ship had arrived in Bruges when food was scarce. It also showcases a 15th-century wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
The Procession of Our Lady of the Blind, also known as Brugse Belofte, is one of the oldest processions in Bruges. According to tradition, during the Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle (1304), the surviving wives and mothers are said to have made a promise to bring a 36-pound candle from the chapel to Our Lady of the Pottery each year if their loved one returned home safely from the battle.
