Royal Monastery of Brou: A Practical Guide to Bourg-en-Bresse’s Gothic Masterpiece

The Royal Monastery of Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse is one of the most remarkable late-Gothic monuments in France. Its brilliant glazed-tile roof, intricate white-stone church, three cloisters and spectacular Renaissance tombs were created from a deeply personal story: Margaret of Austria built the monastery as a memorial to her husband, Philibert the Handsome, Duke of Savoy, after his sudden death.

Construction began in 1506 and was largely completed by 1532. Margaret recruited artists, stonecutters and craftsmen from across Europe, producing a building that combines Flamboyant Gothic architecture, Flemish artistic influence and Burgundian decorative traditions.

The monastery is much more than a church. A standard ticket also gives access to the three historic cloisters, Margaret of Austria’s apartments and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, whose collection ranges from medieval and Flemish art to Gustave Doré and major modern artists.

Allow around 1½ to 2 hours for a good first visit. Art enthusiasts can easily spend considerably longer.

Royal Monastery of Brou at a Glance

A Monument Built From Love and Loss

The story of Brou begins with Margaret of Austria, one of the most powerful women in early 16th-century Europe.

Margaret married Philibert II of Savoy, known as Philibert the Handsome, in 1501. Contemporary accounts portray the marriage as unusually happy, but it lasted only three years. Philibert died suddenly in 1504.

Margaret decided to create an exceptional religious complex and mausoleum in his memory.

The church would ultimately contain three monumental tombs:

• Philibert the Handsome
• Margaret of Austria
• Margaret of Bourbon, Philibert’s mother

It is this personal story that has given Brou its reputation as a “monument to eternal love”.

Margaret of Austria

Margaret was not simply a wealthy widow commissioning an elaborate tomb.

She was the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I, aunt of Emperor Charles V, Duchess of Savoy and later Regent of the Habsburg Netherlands.

She governed from Mechelen in present-day Belgium while directing construction of Brou from a distance.

Margaret spent a substantial part of her fortune on the project and demanded exceptional craftsmanship. Artists, architects, sculptors and materials came from different parts of Europe.

She died in 1530, two years before the work was completed. Remarkably, although she controlled the project from Mechelen, she never returned to Brou during the construction.

Her body was finally brought to the monastery and buried beside Philibert in 1532.

Construction Began in 1506

Margaret laid the first stone on 28 August 1506.

The project proceeded remarkably quickly for such an ambitious complex. The three cloisters were completed by approximately 1513, while construction of the present church began in 1512.

By 1532 the ensemble had become one of the finest expressions of late Flamboyant Gothic architecture in Europe.

The Spectacular Glazed-Tile Roof

Before entering the church, look carefully at the roof.

Its geometric pattern of brown, green, ochre and pale-yellow glazed tiles immediately distinguishes Brou from most French Gothic churches.

More than 150,000 tiles were required to cover the nave and choir roofs.

The colourful design is associated with the great glazed roofs of Burgundy and deliberately recalled Margaret’s connections with the Burgundian territories.

Similar decorative traditions can be seen at famous buildings such as the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune.

The Roof You See Today Is a Restoration

The roof changed considerably over the centuries.

By the 18th century the original structure had deteriorated badly. Major reconstruction in 1758 altered the shape of the roof and removed its colourful glazed tiles.

Only in 1998 was the church given a roof intended to recreate the appearance and profile of the original 16th-century design.

The current roof has now become one of the monastery’s defining visual features.

Enter the Church

The interior creates an interesting contrast with the exterior.

The nave is relatively restrained, drawing the eye towards the richly decorated choir.

This distinction was intentional. The comparatively sober public areas make the extraordinarily detailed funerary and religious decoration beyond the rood screen appear even more dramatic.

The Extraordinary Rood Screen

Do not rush past the rood screen.

It is one of the monastery’s masterpieces and one of the relatively few historic rood screens to survive in France.

The screen originally separated the nave used by the faithful from the choir occupied by the religious community.

Its carved decoration resembles exceptionally delicate stone lace.

Look carefully for:

• Intertwined letters P and M for Philibert and Margaret
• Flamboyant Gothic foliage
• Daisy motifs
• Burgundian symbols
• Finely carved architectural details

The Hidden Love Symbol

The intertwined P and M initials are connected by decorative “love knots”, symbolically joining Philibert and Margaret for eternity.

Once you know to look for them, the couple’s initials appear repeatedly within the church decoration.

Walk Across the Rood Screen

One of the unusual aspects of visiting Brou is that you can actually walk across the upper level of the rood screen.

The passage was originally designed to connect Margaret’s apartments with her private chapel, allowing the princess to reach the church without moving through public areas.

Today visitors can follow essentially the same route.

From above, you get an excellent view over:

• The church nave
• The choir
• The princely tombs
• The stained-glass windows

This elevated viewpoint is one of the best places for appreciating the overall design of the interior.

The Three Princely Tombs

The three tombs in the choir are the artistic heart of the monastery.

Their carved pinnacles, arches, statuettes and canopies are so intricate that the official monument describes them as resembling stone lace.

Philibert the Handsome

Philibert’s tomb occupies the central position.

It is particularly fascinating because it presents him at two different levels.

The upper recumbent figure portrays the duke magnificently dressed as a prince.

Beneath it is a second representation, the transi, depicting him much more simply in death.

Margaret of Austria

Margaret’s tomb stands to one side beneath an exceptionally elaborate architectural canopy appropriate to her imperial rank.

Like Philibert’s monument, it contains both an idealised living figure and a lower funerary representation.

Margaret of Bourbon

The third monument commemorates Philibert’s mother, Margaret of Bourbon.

Her original vow to restore the religious community at Brou helped inspire Margaret of Austria’s much more ambitious project.

Look Closely at the Materials

Margaret selected luxurious stone from several parts of Europe.

The tombs incorporate:

• Black stone from Belgian and Swiss quarries
• White Carrara marble from Italy
• Jura alabaster for fine sculptural details

The alabaster was especially suitable for the intricate carving of small figures, pinnacles and decorative elements.

The Tombs Were Restored in 2018

A major restoration completed in 2018 cleaned the funerary monuments and revealed details that had become difficult to see beneath centuries of accumulated dirt.

The work was intentionally delicate, using water, steam, brushes, absorbent materials and even tools as simple as cotton and toothbrushes.

The Renaissance Stained Glass

The choir contains an exceptional group of stained-glass windows produced between 1525 and 1531 from designs created in Brussels.

The central window presents scenes connected with the risen Christ, while neighbouring windows include images of Philibert and Margaret accompanied by their patron saints.

Heraldic emblems celebrate the distinguished ancestry of both families.

Look closely at the windows after viewing the tombs: sculpture, heraldry and stained glass were designed to work together as one dynastic memorial.

Margaret’s Private Chapel

The decoration becomes particularly elaborate around Margaret of Austria’s chapel.

Highlights include:

• White alabaster
• Black marble
• Highly detailed carving
• A large Assumption stained-glass window
• An elaborate alabaster altarpiece

The great altarpiece depicts the Seven Joys of the Virgin.

The Three Cloisters

Brou is unusual because it has three separate cloisters rather than one.

The official monument describes this arrangement as unique in France.

Together their galleries cover more than 4,000 square metres.

Each cloister served a different community and function:

• Guest Cloister
• Monks’ Cloister
• Clerks’ Cloister

1. The Guest Cloister

The first cloister acted as a transition between the outside world and the enclosed religious community.

Guest accommodation overlooked it, and apartments were intended for Margaret and her ladies-in-waiting if she visited Brou.

Look for the sculpted supports beneath the vaulting. Small figures include:

• Angels
• Monks
• Fantastic animals
• Foliage
• Heraldic shields

Many visitors walk through the galleries without noticing these details.

2. The Monks’ Cloister

The second cloister is the largest of the three.

It has a more austere appearance and was used by the Augustinian monks for contemplation and walking.

Seven open arches along each gallery provided a symbolic rhythm that could recall ideas such as the seven virtues, seven sacraments or seven days of the week.

3. The Clerks’ Cloister

The third cloister is simpler and more functional.

It served the practical working life of the monastery.

Buildings around it contained facilities including:

• Refectory
• Kitchens
• Furnaces
• Wine cellar
• Infirmary
• Servants’ rooms
• Even a small prison

Its more rustic character provides a useful contrast with the extraordinary decoration of the church.

Contemporary Art in the Cloisters

Brou is not frozen in the 16th century.

The monastery deliberately places contemporary artworks within its historic architecture.

In the second cloister, look for two huge forged-steel works by American sculptor Richard Serra.

Created in 1985 and titled Marguerite and Philibert, the two blocks weigh approximately 7.5 and 8.5 tonnes.

The massive industrial forms deliberately contrast with the extraordinarily delicate stone carving of the 16th-century tombs.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts

A major advantage of visiting Brou is that your admission ticket includes the Fine Arts Museum.

The museum has occupied part of the monastery since 1922.

The permanent museum route covers several centuries of European art and currently displays more than 400 works.

Collections include:

• Medieval art
• 15th- and 16th-century Flemish painting
• Renaissance works
• 17th-century European art
• 18th-century painting and decorative arts
• 19th-century art
• Orientalist works
• Modern and contemporary art

An Important Flemish Collection

The museum’s Flemish collection is especially appropriate because Margaret governed the Netherlands from Mechelen and brought northern European artistic influence to Brou.

The collection includes works connected with Margaret’s own period, including portraits by Bernard van Orley of Margaret and her nephew Emperor Charles V.

Do Not Miss Gustave Doré’s Dante and Virgil

One of the museum’s most dramatic paintings is Dante and Virgil in the Ninth Circle of Hell by Gustave Doré.

Painted in 1861, the enormous canvas is more than four metres wide.

The scene comes from Dante’s Divine Comedy and depicts Dante and his guide Virgil observing condemned traitors trapped in a frozen lake.

The painting caused a sensation when it was exhibited at the Paris Salon and is now one of the principal works in the Brou museum.

The Wider Gustave Doré Collection

The museum holds an important group of works by Doré, including paintings and sculptures, while the City of Bourg-en-Bresse preserves more than 220 works connected with the artist.

If you mainly came for the Gothic monastery, this collection may be an unexpected highlight.

Modern and Contemporary Art

The museum continues far beyond the Renaissance.

Its modern collections include works by artists such as:

• Pierre Soulages
• Judith Reigl
• Olivier Debré
• Joan Mitchell
• Simon Hantaï

This broad time span makes the museum considerably more substantial than the small collection sometimes found inside historic monuments.

Why Is It Called a “Royal” Monastery?

Although Margaret was the daughter of an emperor and a major European princess, the monastery was not originally called “royal”.

For more than a century it was occupied by Augustinian monks from Lombardy.

They were replaced by French Augustinians in 1659. At that point the monastery was placed under the protection of the French king and acquired the title Royal Monastery of Brou.

What Happened During the French Revolution?

The monks were expelled following the French Revolution in 1789.

The monastery narrowly escaped demolition in 1791 when a local deputy successfully argued that the complex should be preserved at national expense.

Over subsequent years it served several unexpected purposes, including:

• Prison for refractory priests
• Cavalry barracks
• Begging depot
• Psychiatric institution

A diocesan seminary moved into the buildings in 1823 and remained for much of the 19th century.

The monastery finally ceased religious use in 1906.

A Cultural Monument Today

The site opened increasingly to the public during the early 20th century and became a permanent cultural institution when the municipal museum was installed in 1922.

The visitor route was extensively renewed in 2018 and 2022 to integrate the history of Margaret, the architecture and the museum collection.

In 2014, Brou was voted France’s Favourite Monument during the inaugural edition of the national television competition.

Current 2026 Admission

As of August 2026, general admission is:

€11 per adult

The ticket includes:

• The church
• The three cloisters
• Margaret of Austria’s apartments
• Musée des Beaux-Arts
• Temporary exhibitions when operating

Free Admission

Current free-entry categories include:

• Visitors under 18 under the applicable individual-visitor conditions
• European Union nationals under 26
• Visitors with disabilities and an accompanying adult
• Qualifying jobseekers and RSA recipients
• Education Pass holders
• Architecture students
• ICOM cardholders

Supporting documentation may be required.

Free First Sundays in Winter

The monastery also currently offers free admission for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.

Discount for Recent SNCF Travellers

An unusual current discount may be useful for visitors arriving by train.

A passenger presenting a qualifying recent SNCF TGV INOUI ticket less than five days old currently qualifies for a reduced monument rate of €9.50.

Check current conditions at the ticket office before relying on the discount.

Current Opening Hours

Last admission is currently 30 minutes before closing, and visitors begin being cleared from the monument approximately 15 minutes before closing.

Annual Closing Days

The monastery is closed on:

• 1 January
• 1 May
• 25 December

How Long Should You Allow?

1 Hour

Too short for the complete complex. You could concentrate on the church and princely tombs, but would miss much of the museum and cloisters.

1½ Hours

The official approximate duration for a normal self-guided visit.

2 Hours

Best for most first-time visitors.

This gives you time to appreciate the tombs, stained glass, rood screen and cloisters while seeing the museum highlights.

3 Hours

Recommended for visitors particularly interested in painting, sculpture, architecture or photography.

Audio Guide

The current audio-guide experience costs an additional:

€4

It provides more than an hour of commentary covering the monastery’s history, architecture, Margaret’s apartments and museum collections.

Current languages are:

• French
• English
• German
• Spanish
• Italian

The complete audio-guided visit takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Free Guided Church Visits

The monument currently offers approximately one-hour guided visits of the church led by site staff.

These are included with normal admission but are conducted in French.

Times vary and are displayed at the monument.

Upcoming 2026 Exhibition

Visitors travelling later in 2026 can see a major temporary exhibition entitled The Moulins Triptych: A Renaissance Masterpiece Restored to Its Former Glory.

The current exhibition dates are:

12 September 2026–3 January 2027

Temporary exhibitions are included within the normal monument admission ticket.

Visiting With Children

Brou is surprisingly suitable for families.

The attraction provides child-oriented interpretation, booklets and QR-code games, while special activities and workshops are scheduled for children throughout the year.

Things children may particularly enjoy include:

• Searching for strange carved animals in the cloisters
• Finding the hidden P and M initials
• Walking across the elevated rood screen
• The huge tomb sculptures
• The colourful tiled roof
• The dramatic Gustave Doré painting

Accessibility

The entire main monument is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

A lift provides access to the upper level, including:

• Upper gallery of the rood screen
• Margaret’s apartments
• Musée des Beaux-Arts

Additional facilities include:

• Accessible toilets
• Wheelchairs available on request
• Folding seats
• Accessible interpretation
• Adaptations for visually and hearing-impaired visitors

The monument received the Tourisme & Handicap designation in 2026.

Pushchairs and Babies

Pushchairs are permitted, and a baby-changing facility is available.

This makes the monument considerably easier for families than many historic monasteries with extensive staircases and inaccessible galleries.

Luggage Lockers

Luggage lockers are available.

This is particularly useful if visiting Bourg-en-Bresse as a train stop between other destinations.

Can You Bring Food Inside?

No. Food is currently prohibited inside the monument.

Dogs are also prohibited except for guide and assistance dogs.

Where Is the Royal Monastery of Brou?

The address is:

63 boulevard de Brou
01000 Bourg-en-Bresse
France

The monastery lies just southeast of central Bourg-en-Bresse and is close enough to the historic centre to combine both on foot.

Getting There From Lyon

Bourg-en-Bresse is particularly easy to visit from Lyon.

The official monument information gives a typical direct regional train journey of approximately:

45 minutes from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse.

This makes Brou practical as a day trip if you are staying in Lyon but want to see somewhere much less crowded than the city’s principal tourist attractions.

Getting There From Paris

Direct high-speed trains can connect Paris with Bourg-en-Bresse in approximately:

1 hour 50 minutes

This technically makes a day trip possible, although Bourg-en-Bresse deserves more than simply arriving, visiting Brou and immediately returning.

From Bourg-en-Bresse Railway Station

The monastery is approximately:

• 20 minutes on foot
• 10 minutes by bicycle

Current local bus options include:

• Line 2 to Valéry
• Line 6 to Monastère de Brou

Arriving by Car

Typical driving times published by the monument are approximately:

• Lyon: 1 hour
• Mâcon: 35 minutes
• Geneva: 1 hour 15 minutes

Actual journey times naturally depend on traffic.

Combine Brou With the Historic Centre of Bourg-en-Bresse

Do not leave Bourg-en-Bresse immediately after seeing the monastery.

The town centre contains historic streets, timber-framed buildings, shops and restaurants and is compact enough to explore on foot.

A useful day is:

Royal Monastery of Brou → lunch in Bourg-en-Bresse → historic-centre walk.

Visit the Old Apothecary

Only a short distance from Brou is the historic Apothicairerie de Bourg-en-Bresse, preserved inside the former Hôtel-Dieu.

The pharmacy moved to this location at the end of the 18th century and remained in use until 1963.

Its rooms still contain:

• 18th-century oak cabinetry
• Historic medicine jars
• Glass containers
• Mortars
• Distillation equipment
• Medical books
• Old pharmaceutical substances

Visits are generally organised as guided experiences, so check the current programme before building it into your day.

What to Eat in Bourg-en-Bresse

Bourg-en-Bresse is an excellent destination for travellers interested in French regional food.

The area is particularly famous for Bresse chicken, but menus may also feature:

• Quenelles
• Frogs’ legs
• Comté
• Bleu de Bresse
• Local poultry dishes

A traditional lunch makes a natural break between a morning visit to Brou and an afternoon walk through the town.

A Good Half-Day Visit

9:00 am – Arrive at Brou

Begin early while the monument is relatively quiet.

9:15 am – Explore the Church

Take time with the roof, nave, rood screen, stained glass and three tombs.

10:15 am – Walk Across the Rood Screen

Follow Margaret’s private route towards her apartments.

10:30 am – Musée des Beaux-Arts

Concentrate on the Flemish Renaissance works and Gustave Doré if you are short on time.

11:15 am – Three Cloisters

Walk through each cloister and look for the carved figures hidden beneath the vaults.

Noon – Walk Towards Central Bourg-en-Bresse

Continue into town for lunch.

A Good Full-Day Bourg-en-Bresse Itinerary

Morning

• Royal Monastery of Brou
• Church and princely tombs
• Three cloisters
• Fine Arts Museum

Lunch

Try Bresse regional cuisine in the town centre.

Afternoon

• Historic Bourg-en-Bresse streets
• Old Apothecary if a tour is available
• Cafés and local shops

Where to Stay

Central Bourg-en-Bresse

Best overall choice.

Staying centrally gives you access to restaurants and historic streets while keeping Brou within walking distance or a short local bus ride.

Near the Railway Station

Best for an overnight rail stop.

This is practical if Bourg-en-Bresse forms part of a larger rail journey between Lyon, Geneva, Paris or eastern France.

The monastery is still only around a 20-minute walk from the station.

Best Time of Day to Visit

9:00 am

Best overall choice.

You have plenty of time to explore the church before moving into the museum and cloisters.

Late Morning

Good if you plan to continue directly into town for lunch.

Afternoon

Still worthwhile, but avoid arriving close to the final admission time because the complex is considerably larger than the church exterior suggests.

Best Time of Year

Spring

Comfortable temperatures make it easy to combine the monastery with walking around Bourg-en-Bresse.

Summer

The monument operates its longer 9:00 am–6:00 pm schedule and the cloisters provide pleasant shaded spaces.

Autumn

Often excellent for architecture and photography with fewer peak-season visitors.

Winter

The shorter 9:00 am–5:00 pm schedule applies, but the monastery is a strong indoor cultural attraction. First-Sunday free admission also operates in several winter months.

Photography Tips

The monastery offers excellent architectural photography.

Useful subjects include:

• Patterned glazed roof
• White Flamboyant Gothic façade
• Rood-screen carving
• Princely tombs
• Stained glass
• Cloister arcades
• Reflections and shadows within the galleries

For the exterior, move away from the façade rather than photographing only from immediately outside the entrance. A wider position makes it easier to include the distinctive roof.

What Should You Make Sure You See?

If you have limited time, prioritise:

1. The colourful Burgundian-style roof
2. The Flamboyant Gothic church
3. The rood screen
4. Philibert’s tomb
5. Margaret of Austria’s tomb
6. The Renaissance stained glass
7. Margaret’s private passage
8. The three cloisters
9. Flemish paintings in the museum
10. Dante and Virgil by Gustave Doré

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Thinking Brou Is Only a Church

Your ticket includes an extensive art museum, three cloisters and historic apartments.

Walking Straight Past the Rood Screen

Look closely at the carvings and then use the upper passage for a completely different view of the church.

Ignoring the Museum

The collection is much stronger than many visitors expect and includes important Flemish art and Gustave Doré.

Allowing Only 30 Minutes

The official self-guided route alone takes approximately 1½ hours.

Looking Only at the Tombs From Ground Level

Use the upper rood-screen gallery for one of the best overall views of the choir.

Royal Monastery of Brou or a Day in Lyon?

Brou is not a replacement for Lyon. It offers a completely different experience.

Choose Brou If You Want:

• Flamboyant Gothic architecture
• Renaissance tomb sculpture
• A quieter historic attraction
• Flemish art
• An unusual French regional day trip

Stay in Lyon If You Want:

• A larger city
• More museums
• Roman monuments
• Extensive restaurants and nightlife
• Several days of sightseeing

Because the train journey from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse can take only around 45 minutes, it is easy to combine both during the same French itinerary.

Practical Tips

• Allow at least 1½–2 hours.
• Visit the church before the museum so the story of Margaret and Philibert is clear.
• Look carefully at the roof before entering.
• Do not miss the three tombs.
• Walk across the rood screen.
• Use the audio guide if you want a detailed independent visit.
• Check for temporary exhibitions because they are included in admission.
• Use the luggage lockers if visiting during a rail journey.
• Spend some time in Bourg-en-Bresse rather than immediately returning to Lyon.

Is the Royal Monastery of Brou Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, especially if you enjoy architecture, Renaissance art or historic buildings with a strong personal story.

Brou is unusual because virtually every major part of the monument connects back to one woman and one relationship. After Philibert the Handsome died only three years into their marriage, Margaret of Austria transformed her grief into an architectural project of extraordinary ambition.

She laid the first stone in 1506, recruited artists and craftsmen from across Europe and created a monastery intended to preserve the memory of Philibert, his mother and ultimately Margaret herself.

The result includes an exceptional Flamboyant Gothic church, a roof containing more than 150,000 coloured tiles, three richly sculpted princely tombs, Renaissance stained glass and one of France’s surviving historic rood screens.

The visit becomes even more worthwhile because the €11 admission ticket also includes the three cloisters and Musée des Beaux-Arts. The museum adds Flemish Renaissance paintings, decorative arts, 19th-century works and one of Gustave Doré’s most dramatic monumental paintings.

Current opening hours are 9:00 am–6:00 pm from April through September and 9:00 am–5:00 pm from October through March.

Brou is also surprisingly easy to reach. Bourg-en-Bresse is around 45 minutes by train from Lyon, and the monastery is approximately a 20-minute walk from Bourg-en-Bresse station.

For the strongest experience, give yourself about two hours, spend time examining the tombs rather than simply photographing them and follow Margaret’s old passage across the rood screen before exploring the cloisters and art museum.

The Royal Monastery of Brou is memorable not simply because it is beautiful, but because its architecture, sculpture and symbolism were all designed around one central idea: preserving the memory of Margaret and Philibert’s love long after both of them were gone.