We had wanted to visit Bruges for a long time, especially after watching “In Bruges” by Martin McDonagh. The movie, even without its very human tragicomedy story, impressive acting and sharp, witty dialogue, was the perfect example of indirect city promotion.

One of the characters in the movie quoted from a guide – “Bruges is the best-preserved medieval city in Belgium!”, and the cinematography of Eigil Bryld not only proved it, but made the city of Bruges itself another living character in the movie.

So, being in Brussels, we could not miss the opportunity to come there. It was only a one-hour train ride – perfectly suitable for a day trip.

In Bruges, as in most cities, the historical slices of civilization are in its landmarks, buildings and monuments and they truly are well-preserved, imposing and remarkably attractive.

We walked around for hours through this “open-air museum” strolling its streets and squares, unusually spacious for a medieval town, and took a pleasant boat ride through its labyrinth of canals, which gave Bruges the nickname “Venice of Belgium”.

After having lunch in a centuries old cellar with arched ceilings (and really good food) we continued to enjoy the pleasant weather while walking from the Markt to Béguinage and everywhere between – typical one day trip itinerary – and, yes, we wanted to stay in Bruges for another day (or two), as it usually happens when you enjoy your stay in a place you like.

We had one more agenda in mind. We traveled to Bruges after seeing another movie, “The Monuments Men” by George Clooney. Although the movie was not about Bruges, it only enflamed our desire to visit the city and The Church of Our Lady, which was founded in the 13th century.

Our destination was Michelangelo’s “Madonna with Child” – one of the many priceless works of art, stolen by Nazis during the WWII and then discovered and saved from destruction by a special military unit of art historians and experts known as ” The Monuments Men”. Their goal was to search for stolen works of art and to return them to their rightful owners.

When entering The Church, we bumped into a bored looking couple of tourists who were about to leave. “There is nothing to see there” – we were surprised to hear that.  May be they didn’t see the movie. Or didn’t read a guidebook?

“Madonna with Child”, made by Michelangelo soon after “Pieta”, is on the view in the southern aisle of The Church of Our Lady, whose brickwork tower is one of the dominant landmarks of Bruges’ skyline. The figure of Michelangelo’s Madonna emanate calm and the acceptance of fate. The statue’s own history is far less calm.

The Nazis were not the first ones who stole the Madonna from Bruges. French Revolutionaries did the same at the end of the 18th century, but their attempt was also unsuccessful and the sculpture returned home two decades later. Adding that the sculpture was the only work of Michelangelo that left Italy during his life, we cannot stop thinking that its calmness is not a coincidence and that the sculpture knew that its destiny was to be the Madonna of Bruges, and itself accepted its own fate.

Farewell, Bruges. Some day we shall return as well.