HRH Prince Lorenz of Belgium visited the Hof van Busleyden Museum, where he had the opportunity to admire a number of works restored with support from the King Baudouin Foundation and the Baillet Latour Fund, including the famous Walled Gardens, which have now recovered all their former splendour.

Prince Lorenz, Honorary President of the King Baudouin Foundation’s Heritage Fund, visited the brand new Hof van Busleyden Museum in Mechelen. Devoted to the history and culture of the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands, the museum makes reference to several of Prince Lorenz’s ancestors. The Prince was able to admire several works restored with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

Among the works included in the visit were:

The Credence of the High Council, whose name refers to the High Council of the Netherlands, the highest jurisdiction of the Netherlands, established in Mechelen from the 15th century onwards. The piece of furniture dates from this period and probably belonged to Margaret of Austria or Margaret of York. It has been restored on the initiative of the Quellenstede Fund and thanks to the generosity of several donors upon whom the Fund called. Managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, the Quellenstede Fund supports the museums of Mechelen in preserving their heritage.

The statuette of Saint Yves, patron saint of lawyers, magistrates and jurists. The statuette has been restored as part of the SOS Polychromies campaign, one of the first initiatives established by the King Baudouin Foundation in the field of heritage.

The Walled Gardens, which were the cornerstone of the visit. These altarpieces, evoking a heavenly and ideal world, were created in the 15th century for the Augustine Sisters at the Mechelen hospice and were made using all kinds of materials and relics. Nowhere else in the world is there such a coherent group of walled gardens. Since 2011, they have figured on the list of classified works of the Flemish Community. Restored with support from the Baillet Latour Fund, whose aim is to preserve major works of Belgian heritage, they have now recovered all of their former splendour.

The Hof van Busleyden Museum will also be able to count on the King Baudouin Foundation’s philanthropic Funds for future support. So, for example, the Raphaël De Smedt Fund, set up in honour of the Mechelen painter Jan De Smedt, will be supporting a number of the museum’s projects.