Parcum Information

Our advisers help local authorities and the heritage managers of the various faiths to give religious heritage a meaningful future. Churches, monasteries, religious artefacts and traditions can be a source of significance and inspiration for everyone. Thanks to our regional activities, we have a good overview of everything that is happening in the region. Our museum exhibits the PARCUM and Park Abbey religious heritage collection. It also presents temporary thematic exhibitionsat the confluence of religion, art and culture. These latter introduce us to the often unseen heritage of our churches, abbeys and monasteries. In today's multi-religious and highly diverse society, particular attention is paid here to promoting dialogue. As well as managing and exhibiting our own religious heritage collection, we also carry out heritage research and play a key role in the overseeing of the religious heritage landscape. Our primary aim is to identify and highlight every aspect of religious heritage. Together with all those involved, we therefore search for innovative, broad-based solutions. We were founded in 1997 as a Centre for Religious Art and Culture (CRKC) by the Flemish dioceses, the Union of Flemish Monastics, the Association of Flemish Norbertine Abbeys and KU Leuven. Since then, we have built up a wealth of expertise in religious heritage management in Flanders and Brussels. Our renovated museum opened in 2017. CRKC and PARCUM merged together under one name in January 2020. We are located at Park Abbey, in Leuven.