SITE

KANTCENTRUM AND ADORNES

The Kantcentrum and the Adornes family, bound by history

The Kantcentrum vzw (non-profit making entity) carries out its activities in a renovated old building dating from 1899, the Apostoline Sisters’ former lace school in Balstraat, part of the Adornes estate. After moving around Bruges, the Sisters ended up there in 1835. They also maintained the 15th century Jerusalem Chapel on the site. After the Kantcentrum vzw took over lace activities from the Sisters, it operated the chapel and adjoining alms house buildings for several decades. A small lace museum was situated in the alms houses. In 2014 the Bruges municipal authorities leased the building which houses the Kantcentrum from the Adornes vzw. The Kantcentrum itself belongs to the town of Bruges. Thus the Kantcentrum can continue to deliver lace teaching on the spot in Bruges where it started out.

Adornes

The Adornes family originally came from Genoa. They were merchants who sought and found a new home in Bruges in the 14th century. They made their fortune trading and were active in political and social circles. The Adornes estate today is still in the hands of the descendants of the Genoese who came to Bruges, as the Count and Countess of Limburg