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Come and marvel at the wonderful history of the royal monastery at Brou, a token of eternal love built in stone and marble in the early 16th century by Margaret of Austria. Discover this Flamboyant Gothic masterpiece, a princely mausoleum with three magnificent tombs, 35 minutes from Mâcon and 1 hour from Lyon.
Visiting the royal monastery of Brou at Bourg-en-Bresse
• A church in the Flamboyant Gothic style (1513-1532) and a sumptuous monastery. This magnificent architectural work was built between 1506 and 1532, and includes a church in the Flamboyant Gothic style with a tall roof made of glazed, coloured tiles and a monastery with three cloisters surrounded by upper and lower galleries, the only one of its kind in France. he Brou church is a votive chapel, a temple of remembrance and a sumptuous setting for three princely tombs: those of Margaret of Austria, her husband Philibert the Fair and her mother-in-law Margaret of Bourbon. The Flemish statuary of the tombs and reredos, the rood screen, stalls and original stained-glass windows make it a unique heritage site.
• A museum. The monastery now houses the Brou museum with rich collections of French, Flemish and Italian art from the 15th to the 20th centuries with temporary exhibitions in the chapter houses, twelfth- to seventeenth-century sculptures in the refectory, and painting collections in the former monks' cells.
Understanding the royal monastery of Brou at Bourg-en-Bresse
• A monument laden with meaning. In the early 16th century, Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I and Regent of the Netherlands, had the royal monastery of Brou built to commemorate her love for her late husband Philibert II the Fair, Duke of Savoy, who died prematurely at the age of 24.
