This room provides access to the Gruuthuse Palace's jewel in the crown: the oratory (private chapel) of Louis de Gruuthuse. From there, Louis and his wife could observe Mass being administered in the Church of Our Lady. Step inside: the chapel offers a direct view of the Church choir. The luxuriously finished 15th-century interior is original.

During the Middle Ages, religion played an all-important role for many people. To support worshippers in their prayers, churches, chapels, and cloisters were full of statues of saints. These were sometimes part of a large altarpiece or retable, but many have since been lost. Many statues were also brightly painted. Various traces of this can still be seen in this room.

Mary is a key figure in Christianity. She appears in this room several times. People in Bruges were very devoted to Mary, or Our Lady. Everything medieval people did was dominated by life after death, to earn their place in heaven after this earthly life. Mary could help in this endeavour.

This figure of Mary, a beautifully carved wooden statue, is reading. Her long, wavy hair falls over the shoulders, down to her waist. She is dressed in a long robe, which gracefully flows along her body. The Angel Gabriel is about to startle her and announce that she is to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary became the much loved and very human mother of all believers. They turn to her to seek comfort, or to ask her to put in a good word for them with Christ and God.

This statue is approximately 46 cm tall and 41 cm wide and is part of an absolute masterpiece: a large, prestigious Utrecht reredos. Reredos, which feature dozens of figures, stood behind an altar and were of course found in churches in Bruges as well. They gave worshippers a focal point while attending mass. Many reredos were commissioned by brotherhoods for their church altar, such as this Utrecht showstopper. Only fragments from this masterpiece remain, and they became dispersed. This statuette is one of those fragments. A lot of art from Bruges' churches was also lost during, among other things, the Iconoclastic Fury.

We are now standing near two female saints that were extremely popular in medieval times. The statues, with their bright, well-preserved colours, were produced in Southern Germany. The workshops of Bruges’ craftsmen also produced statues of saints in series, and painted them in many colours.

Saint Agnes is holding a lamb in her arms, the Latin translation of which is: agnus. The word is similar to her name and symbolises 'innocence'. The young Agnes was raped and later murdered in Rome. Ursula, who was also killed by non-Christians, is holding her killer's arrow in her hands. Both statues are approximately 145 cm high.

Believers prayed to saints to ask for a favour, such as to be healed. Each saint had his/her speciality. For example, Ursula offered protection against childhood diseases and helped make your marriage a happy one. Agnes was the protector of young girls. Other saints guarded you from the plague, or kept you safe when you embarked on a pilgrimage.

On the pedestal in the centre of this room stands another extremely popular saint: Margaret. Infertile or pregnant women were among those who prayed to her.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead two days later form the essence of the Christian faith. This statue – at the bottom it mentions the date 1497 - depicts these events. The Son of God dies on the cross to save mankind from the original sin of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. Due to his sacrifice believers can enjoy eternal life once more.

During the Middle Ages, the powerful representation of the dying or dead Jesus on the cross appeared everywhere; in churches and monasteries, on street corners and squares, in peoples' homes, etc. Representations of the cross being erected, or of the dead Christ being taken down from the cross, were also popular, as were those showing the sorrow of his mother, Mary, and his disciples. All these images helped believers to empathise and to feel compassion.

This crucifix, which is the name for a statue of the crucified Jesus, originates from a Bruges' monastery. It was made shortly before 1500 and you can still see the paint, on the back of the cross too. Restorers discovered another crucified Christ there, which had been painted over. This Christ was painted not sculpted. Perhaps so the cross could be viewed from both sides. The cross measures approximately two metres by one metre.