On 29 September 2013, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and Prince Lorenz, Honorary President of the Heritage Fund, paid a visit to the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium and to the Saint Ursule Chapel in the Church of Notre Dame du Sablon.

Their visit highlighted the Heritage Fund’s acquisition of La Charité, one Belgian heritage’s emblematic Baroque sculptures, created by Jan Van Delen for the Saint Ursule Chapel. Purchased in London some months ago, the work has returned to Belgium after an absence of two centuries.

The sculpture was commissioned by Count Lamoral de la Tour et Tassis, one of Princess Gloria’s ancestors, as part of the reconstruction of the family funeral chapel in the Sablon Church. The Count had foreseen a complex iconographic programme for the chapel to glorify his family, one of the most powerful families of the time. When renovations of the chapel have been completed, La Charité will be returned to its original location. This vast in-depth renovation work is being undertaken by the Church Council in collaboration with the City of Brussels and the Brussels-Capital Region.

The Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium have graciously accepted to exhibit sculpture for the general public immediately. They have also created a fascinating exhibition and brochure with pieces from their own collection to provide the historical and familial context, which guests were able to discover prior to visiting the Chapel.

A beautifully illustrated book about the sculpture and its history has been published by the Foundation to mark the occasion.