Banner Judith
schilderij door Albrecht de Vriendt (1889) ©️ KMSKA Antwerpen

Judith, a Carolingian princess in Ghent?

Exhibition
Visitors can reopen a special whodunnit that was abandoned in 2006 due to lack of evidence. The backdrop to this riveting story is Ghent’s St Peter’s Abbey, once the final resting place of the Counts of Flanders. Archaeologists, historians and biological anthropologists join forces to examine grave S127, uncovered during the construction of an underground car park.

Together with the researchers, take a deep dive into the science and try to piece together the puzzle of Judith’s life, a queen’s daughter and the first Countess of Flanders. You’ll find out all about the decisive Judith, a fascinating young woman who took her fate into her own hands and stood up to her royal father. The research will whisk you back in time, to the treasuries and intrigues of the Carolingian elite, and the maelstrom of familial wars from which the County of Flanders emerged.

St. Peter's Abbey, Ghent

From 4 October 2024 to 19 January 2025, inclusive

From Tuesday until Sunday, from 10am until 6pm.

Find all practical info here

The extensive story of the research

In the shadow of St Peter’s Abbey, where the stones whisper of long-lost days and ancient tales, a cold case was reopened. The story revolves around the discovery of grave S127, a forgotten resting place on the Sint-Pietersplein. This is where research began into the life of the daughter of Charles the Bald, Judith, the first countess of Flanders.

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Judith - archeologie - graf

We’ve come full circle: the location of St Peter’s Abbey

St Peter’s Abbey plays a crucial role in the story of Judith and the Counts of Flanders. The results of the archaeological research that preceded the construction of the car park beneath the Sint-Pietersplein attest to the influential position of the abbey through the ages...

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Judith - archeologie - plein

Short biography of Judith

Judith's life went through many upheavals, already from an early age...

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Judith - tekening
©️ KBR

A special collaboration

For this exhibition, Historische Huizen Gent [Historical Houses of Ghent] collaborated with the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy at Ghent University (UGent), the Pirenne Institute, and the City of Ghent’s Dienst Stadsarcheologie & Monumentenzorg [Urban Archaeology & Monument Care Department].

Researchers