Bourg-en-Bresse

Bourg-en-Bresse grew into the principal town of Bresse under the house of Savoy. Outside its walls stands the monastery of Brou, a splendid work of late Gothic architecture built to house the tombs of a ducal family. Its church, cloisters and richly carved monuments brought together artists from several lands. After the death of her husband Philibert the Handsome in 1504, Margaret of Austria set out to create a fitting resting place for him. She laid the foundation stone in 1506 and directed the work from the Netherlands, where she served as regent. In 1532 she was buried at Brou beside Philibert, joining their names to the monument she had commissioned.