The hallway leading to the gallery is devoted to liturgy and the cult of the relic, the gallery itself to mediaeval works of art from Belgium’s cultural heritage. A reading area with index cards and an interactive screen provides an opportunity to learn more about particular objects.

Besides ivory carvings, wood sculptures and old textiles, there is also an exceptional collection of examples of the Mosan goldsmith’s art, bringing to life the extraordinary flowering of that art in the Prince-bishopric of Liège during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These fine objects, decorated with precious stones, gold and coloured enamel, come mainly from church treasures from Stavelot, Florennes, Maastricht and Oignies, and piece for piece provide us with a glimpse of the glory of the Romanesque decorative arts in our regions.

In making the chronological link between the gallery devoted to Merovingian art and the ‘Gothic-Renaissance-Baroque’ circuit, the gallery is an affirmation of the pomp and circumstance of the Middle Ages.