De Wit Royal Manufacturers of Tapestry in Mechelen

To me, nothing is more European than a gorgeous tapestry. A friend of mine had heard about De Wit, a tapestry manufacturer and restoring place that we could actually go inside and tour. Of course, we booked a tour and jumped on a train to Mechelen. After wandering around for a little bit, we found De Wit. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was even better. It's housed in an The Refuge of Tongerlo Abbey (1484), and surrounded by very high brick walls. The only way in is this huge wooden door. Inside is a beautiful hidden garden. In the Spring, everything will be in full bloom. The garden is planted with flowers that are represented in medieval tapestries. The main entrance is that red door on the left. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside. *sigh* These three (indoor) pictures are courtesy of De Wit's website. And in case you are wondering, the antique tapestries are even more amazing in person. Our guide was fantastic, and she not only explained how tapestries are made, she even brought in one of their workers to demonstrate. She worked her magic on the loom in the center of this room. On an average day, a worker can only produce a section about the size of the palm of your hand. In other words, it takes a long, long time to make a tapestry.This is the restoration section of De Wit. You are only allowed to tour it while the workers are on their lunch break. They only make minimal repairs to the damaged tapestries, and have very strict guidelines as to how it is done. De Wit hasn't produced any private tapestries in many years, because it's extremely expensive, and there is an extensive process to having one created. (First you have to hire an excellent painter to produce a painting that you want your tapestry based on. Then you have to pay someone approximately $3,500 per square meter to produce the tapestry. It's all very costly and time consuming. You know how it goes...if you have to ask, you can't afford it.) The only ones they produce now are for Belgian royalty to give to visiting dignitaries. Their main business is repairing and cleaning existing tapestries. Tapestries are shipped here from all over the world, including the White House! Let's face it, the company was founded in 1889, so they have a lot of experience and expertise in this area. When our tour was over, we returned to the courtyard. We still had a little time before we caught our train back home, so we decided to head toward the centrum and check out Sint-Romboutskathedral.It's amazing! She was started around 1200 (completed around 1520), and stands proudly in the centrum of Mechelen, right beside the Market place. On a clear day, you can climb the 514 steps to the top of the tower and see all the way to Antwerp! Hmmmmm....maybe this summer... Believe it or not, her tower was supposed to be even taller, but financial restraints limited her to 97.28 meters tall. And they even let you peek around inside! Amazing!St. Rumbold is the patron Saint of Mechelen. That's him standing high above the alter. He was a 17th century Irish missionary, and it's rumored that his remains are buried in the cathedral. The cathedral also serves as a mausoleum for Belgian archbishops. Too soon, it was time to catch our bus back to the train station and head home. It was an amazing day... filled with amazing art. A big THANK YOU to the lovely ladies at De Wit! We all now have a deeper appreciation for beautiful tapestries. When I win the lottery, I'm giving you a call and placing my order. It will look perfect in my new castle...