Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp is a port city where the world has been mooring at the docks for centuries. The MAS collection is the place where city and world meet. 500,000 exhibits offer a varied perspective on the city and its age-old contacts with the world. Some of them are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions, but most are kept in storage. In the Visible Storage area, the MAS lifts a corner of the veil. For the really inquisitive, the MAS also has its entire collection on display online.
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Brussels, Belgium
In the Cinquantenaire Museum, you can see national archaeological artefacts from prehistory to the age of the Merovingians, as well as finds from Egypt, the Near East, Iran and Classical Antiquity. Among the star attractions are the collections of Egyptian sarcophagi and Greek vases, the great mosaic floor from Apamea and the model of Ancient Rome. There are also non-European art treasures from China, South-east Asia, Central Asia, the cultural world of Islam, America and Oceania. Particularly famous is the collection of pre-Columbian art and another eye-catcher is the colossal statue from Easter Island. There is also a representative selection of European decorative art, ranging from Romanesque Art to Art Deco. Among the collections not to be missed are the Mosan liturgical treasures, the tapestries, the retables, the glassware and the Art Nouveau figures.
Visit websiteBruges, Belgium
A royal welcome awaits you at this opulent city palace of the lords of Gruuthuse. The museum contains all manner of objects that shed light on everyday life between the 15th and 19th centuries. One of the major attractions is the Hall of Honour with its tapestries, impressive fireplace and richly decorated rafters, all witnessing the wealth and affluence of the lords of Gruuthuse.
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Lessines, Belgium
The Hospital Notre-Dame à la Rose is an ancient hospital, founded in the 13th century and one of the last witnesses of the advancement of medicine, surgery and pharmacy from the Middle Ages onwards. Its remarkable architecture, the medicinal herb gardens and the rich artistic and scientific collections make it an absolute ‘must’ in the region.
Visit websiteAntwerp, Belgium
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is a public institution of the Government of Flanders and the only Flemish museum with a scientific status. The principal missions of the KMSKA are the maintenance, management and expansion of the collection; the scientific study of the collection and the enhancement of its accessibility; the organisation of exhibitions and the development of public engagement activities. The KMSKA subscribes to the Statutes of ICOM, the International Council of Museums. Thanks to its exceptional collection, the KMSKA is a museum of international stature.
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Curator sculpture collection: Valerie Herremans
Leuven, Belgium
The M-collection presents the story of Leuven as told by the arts. M exhibits classical and modern art inspired by the multifacetedness of Leuven. Its own collection primarily focuses on art produced in Leuven and Brabant from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
The City of Leuven’s art collection can be admired in various places. The majority, however, is exhibited in the permanent collection and the depots of M in the Vanderkelenstraat. The Treasury of Saint Peter’s also houses numerous gems.
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