Pax - Bruges, Belgium - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

Bruges is one of the best preserved Medieval cities in Europe. It manages to maintain its historical architecture whilst at the same time keeping up to date with the modern world.

The hospital is one of the oldest surviving hospitals in Europe, dating from at least 1188. Originally founded by lay brothers and sisters but this changed in 1236 when the bishop of Tournai insisted that the brothers and sisters made vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. They were also then obliged to wear a religious habit.

The hospital was built to provide housing and care for pilgrims, passers-by and traveling salesmen. Also sick people were accepted (at least if their illness was not contagious).

The statue entitled Pax was sculpted by Octave Rotsaert (21st July 1885 – 26th March 1964) a Bruges born sculptor and painter. He trained in Paris and in 1927 sculpted Pax in plaster of Paris which was awarded a medal of honour.

When he returned to Bruges Rotsaert did not have enough money himself to cast the statue in bronze and it was left in his workroom. It was noticed by Doctor Louis De Winter, a lover of art and he decided that one day he would arrange for it to be cast. After World War II, Dr Louis De Winter wanted to celebrate the end of war with a symbol of peace, but wasn’t sure what to do. He was a head of department in the hospital and often walked in the courtyard. He then remembered the Pax sculpture and together with the ‘Friends of Bruges’ arranged for it to be cast in Bronze in a studio in Ghent.

It was erected in the courtyard in the winter of 1947 with no announcement or ceremony, but has now become a much loved piece of art in this spiritual home of real monks for many hundreds of years.

My rough translation of an extract from this French web page states that the statue represents two monks wearing their robes, one young and one old, walking towards each other give themselves the Kiss of Peace (the Pax liturgy) . The hospital has now been turned into a museum, but entrance into the courtyard from Mariastraat is free.

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Pax Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Octave Rotsaert Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 11/1/1947 Materials used: Bronze Location: Courtyard of Sint-Janshospitaal

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/27/2022 Theodd1 visited it 04/23/2016 GEO-BREIN visited it

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