Museum voor Stenen Voorwerpen

Museum voor Stenen Voorwerpen (Museum of Stone Objects) is a small, atmospheric lapidarium tucked inside the ruins of the former Sint-Baafsabdij (St. Bavo's Abbey) in Ghent. Rather than sitting in a purpose-built gallery, the collection occupies the abbey's old refectory and cloister garden, so visitors walk straight through medieval monastic remains to reach the exhibits.

Where the collection comes from

The museum's holdings are made up mainly of historical gravestones and funerary slabs that once marked the burial places of Ghent's noble and patrician families. Over the years, the City of Ghent gathered this funerary heritage from buildings that were demolished, restored, or otherwise disappeared from the city's fabric, preserving stone monuments that would otherwise have been lost for good. The museum itself was founded in 1887, set up inside the abbey ruins — a location that adds an extra layer of meaning, since the stones commemorating the dead now rest in a place shaped by its own turbulent history.

The abbey that now shelters the collection

The story of Sint-Baafsabdij goes back to the 7th century. It was founded by Saint Amand between 630 and 639 as a religious community centered on a church dedicated to Saint Peter. The abbey only took the name Sint-Baafsabdij from 864 onward, in honor of Saint Bavo, who died there in 653. The site stood near the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers, close to the Roman settlement known as Ganda — the very name from which the Latin form "Gandavum" and the city's alternate name Gandawa derive.

The abbey's history includes both periods of great prosperity and moments of crisis. In the 9th century it was raided twice by Vikings, forcing the monks to flee to Laon; they only returned to re-establish the community after an absence of nearly fifty years. The abbey reached the height of its influence in the 11th century. Its downfall came in 1540, when Emperor Charles V ordered the abbey buildings demolished in retaliation for an uprising by the citizens of Ghent.

What visitors can see today

Little remains of the original Romanesque church beyond its outline, now traced in clipped hedges, with five-metre-high hornbeam columns evoking the shape of the vanished building. Among the surviving abbey structures is the former refectory, which today houses the Museum voor Stenen Voorwerpen. Walking through the grounds, visitors can still make out the layout of the old cloister garden and picture the rhythm of monastic life that once unfolded here, now surrounded by the carved gravestones of the city's old patrician families.

Practical visiting information

The abbey ruins, and with them the museum, are open to the public only on a seasonal basis — the site welcomes visitors on a limited number of days per week, from April through the end of October. It is managed by Historische Huizen Gent and is located at Voorhoutkaai in Ghent.

Frequently asked questions

What is Museum voor Stenen Voorwerpen? It is a lapidarium set inside the ruins of Sint-Baafsabdij, displaying historical gravestones and stone slabs that once belonged to Ghent's patrician families.

When was the museum founded? It was established in 1887, inside the walls of the former abbey.

Why did the abbey fall into ruin? In 1540, Emperor Charles V ordered its demolition in retaliation for a revolt by the citizens of Ghent against his rule.

Is the museum open year-round? No — the ruins and museum are open seasonally, only a few days a week, from April to the end of October.

Where does the name Gandawa come from? It derives from Ganda, the name of the Roman-era settlement near the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers, on the site of present-day Ghent.