Construction began in the 13th century, with the choir dated 1270 to 1280, and the flying buttresses date from the 1270s and 1280s. Fourteenth and 15th-century additions followed, and a chapel was created in 1482 for Lodewijk van Gruuthuse as his private worship area. The article names no architect.
The exterior and nave are Gothic brick, with cross-vaults and black-and-white tiled flooring, while the side aisles and chancel are heavily ornamented Baroque. The tower is 379 feet (115.6 m), the tallest structure in Bruges and the third-tallest brick church tower in the world.
Michelangelo's marble Madonna and Child, carved around 1504 according to the text, was probably intended for Siena Cathedral. The Mouscron brothers bought it, and it was given to the church in 1514. It was looted around 1794 and in 1944 and recovered both times. Gilded bronze effigies of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy stand behind the high altar.
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