Institut royal du patrimoine artistique

The Royal Institute of the Artistic Heritage (in French, IRPA) is one of the ten scientific establishments within the jurisdiction of the federal Minister of Science policy. It dedicates to the inventory, the scientific analysis, the conservation and valorisation of the country’s artistic and cultural heritage. IRPA represents a unique asset for our country’s heritage, the movable as well as the real estate, and has a mission of research and public service. The Institute also provides the public an infotheca, an authentic information and research centre on Belgium’s artistic heritage. The infotheca brings together a photo library that currently exhibits over a million photographs, a book library that specialises in art history and the documentary collection from the Centre of Early Netherlandish paintings. Moreover, the role played by IRPA in the heritage valorisation and the distribution of tools for researchers as well as for the general public is illustrated by the publications, the photographic inventory and the organisation of lectures, congresses and seminaries led by the Institute.