On the way south to Lac du Bourget, France’s largest natural lake, Bourg-en-Bresse seemed like a convenient place to stop. A place to stretch our legs after a long drive, but mostly to make use of the largest Carrefour I’ve ever set foot inside to stock up on food for our week-long stay on the lake. We hadn’t planned to stop here, but our guidebook said it was a pleasant town, with a long history, and one of the region’s most outstanding sights: the Royal Monastery of Brou.
It was a scorching hot August day. Despite the clear blue skies, the weather when we arrived was oppressively humid but gave little hint of what was to come. When the weather broke, the heavens opened to deliver one of the most dramatic thunderstorms imaginable. The intensity of the rain was immense, and if it had come twenty minutes earlier we would have discovered first hand just how wet a person can get.
Right up to that point, we had been enjoying a stroll through Bourg-en-Bresse’s old town, with its collection of historic buildings and sprinkling of half-timbered houses. The origins of the town are lost to the mists of time, but the first written record dates from the 11th century and it would soon become one of the principle capitals of the Dukes of Savoy, under whose control it would flourish.
The belltower of the 16th century Cathedral of Notre-Dame looms over the jumble of interesting streets, some of which are even traffic free. This is the heart of the old medieval town. Amidst the historic buildings there are several pleasant squares filled with cafes and bars, but even on a workday afternoon the town seemed pretty sleepy. It really wouldn’t detain you for more than a couple of hours but for one thing.
The Royal Monastery of Brou is sometimes referred to as the Taj Mahal of Bourg-en-Bresse. This is thanks to its patron, and Brussels native, Margaret of Austria. Daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Mary of Burgundy, two royal houses at the top of European power rankings, had they existed in the 15th century. In 1501, she married Philibert II, Duke of Savoy.
This was her third marriage to different royal houses, the previous two had not ended well and Philibert was not destined to live long either. Margaret was widowed at the age of 24. Heartbroken, not only did she refuse to marry again, but she had the Monastery of Brou built to house the tomb of Philibert. His magnificent tomb is accompanied by that of his mother and Margaret.
The church was built between 1506 and 1532, after Margaret had been appointed Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, and is described as ‘flamboyant Gothic’ in style. With its white stone and jaunty glazed tile roof, it certainly makes an impression from the outside. Inside, the sun pouring through the windows and illuminating the stone, it is even more beautiful.
The monastery also houses the Musée de Brou, which has a surprisingly good collection of Flemish, French, and Italian art from the 15th to the 19th century. It is housed in one of three cloisters that used to be home to Augustinian monks, who dedicated their lives to praying for the royals buried there. The tombs are famed for the delicacy of the carving and the accuracy of the likeness to their inhabitants.
After a stunning career as a European powerbroker, Margaret died in Mechelen, modern day Belgium, in 1530. Her remains were returned to Bourg-en-Bresse and interred in a tomb next to her husband. Reunited in death, it’s a moving monument.
Notes from Camelid Country 