Ten centuries of history
Annual closing on December 25 and January 1. On December 24 and 31, the sites will close at 4 p.m.
The Treasure of St Waudru presents, in the former chapter house of the canoness, a remarkable collection of works of art relating to worship and to the memory of St Waudru and the Chapter.Gold and silverware occupy a central place. Chalices, monstrances and reliquaries dating from the 12th to the 19th century bear witness to the skills of the local Mons craftsmen. St Waudru is evoked notably through relics such as the Benoïte Affique, a ring and magnificent shrouds.The Treasure also preserves precious manuscripts, paintings and sculptures, including some of the most beautiful works by Jacques Du Broeucq. The collections presented at the Treasure are owned by the Fabrique d’église Sainte-Waudru, or have been deposited with the aforementioned Fabrique.
Master craftsmen
We can get an idea of the importance of the gold and silversmithery schools that flourished in Mons between the 15th and 18th centuries by the number of objects that appear in the treasure: most of the chalices, ciboria and reliquaries bear the hallmarks of the city of Mons (a tower), the smith (a letter) and, from 1750 onwards, the initials of Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabella (AE).