Brugse Vrije

Last updated
Map of the Brugse Vrije, by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, published in 1664 BrugseVrije1664.jpg
Map of the Brugse Vrije, by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, published in 1664

The Brugse Vrije was a castellany in the county of Flanders, often called in English "the Franc of Bruges". It included the area around Bruges, and was bordered by the North Sea, the Westerschelde and the Yser river. The city of Bruges was separated from the castellany in 1127. Since then the city and the Vrije were considered as separate customary law areas. The Brugse Vrije was a rich agricultural region. It had its own burgrave, who was seated at the Burg, a square in Bruges, and became part of the Four Members of Flanders at the end of the 14th century, together with the three major cities of Ghent, Bruges and Ypres. The Brugse Vrije sat in the meetings of the States of Flanders.

Contents

Organisation

Lord Mayor of the Brugse Vrije: Henri de Vicq, Lord of Meuleveldt by Rubens Peter Paul Rubens - Portrait of Baron Henri de Vicq.jpg
Lord Mayor of the Brugse Vrije: Henri de Vicq, Lord of Meuleveldt by Rubens
Palace of het Brugse Vrije. Famien Strada Histoire-Palace of het Brugse Vrije-ppn087811480 MG 8951T3p403.tif
Palace of het Brugse Vrije.
Postcard of the Maison du Franc II (Excelsior Series 11, No. 13, Albert Sugg a Gand; ca. 1905). Postcard - Bruges - Maison du Franc II (Excelsior Series 11, No. 13; Albert Sugg a Gand; ca. 1905).jpg
Postcard of the Maison du Franc II (Excelsior Series 11, No. 13, Albert Sugg a Gand; ca. 1905).

The castellany of Bruges was founded at around the year 1000 under the rule of Count Baldwin IV of Flanders (9801035) as part of the county of Flanders. The head of the castellany was a burgrave, who represented the Count of Flanders. The burgrave was replaced by a bailiff in the 12th century. The fief was first called the Castellany of Bruges, but later took on the name Brugse Vrije. In Middle Ages it was divided into Amts.

The Manor

The governing body of the Brugse Vrije was located at the Burg, the square in Bruges where both the civil and ecclesiastical administration were located. Initially the Vrije was seated next to the Steen (castle of the count), on the west side of the Burg. In the 15th century, the Vrije moved to the other side, where it took over a portion of the count's former court, the Dukes of Burgundy having moved their residence to the newly built Prinsenhof (Bruges)  [ nl ]. In 14341440 the Vrije added a tribunal to the southern side, facing towards Groenerei  [ nl ], a canal in Bruges. In 15201525, the complex was extended along the row with a new high tribunal, the aldermen's chamber and an entrance-hall. The architect was Jan van de Poele. A gallery with high arches was built on the Burg-side in 15281532. In 16061607, a chapel was added next to the aldermen's chamber and in 16641666 an orphan room, in which records of the castellany's orphans were kept. The still existing façades on the Groenerei side was built at this time. Lastly, the part of the manor that is visible on the Burg, and which was significantly enlarged by the purchase of the Love in 1555, was rebuilt in 17221727 in the Neoclassical style after a design by Jan Verkruys.

The now classified as heritage (1938) building still exists in this form and was used from 1795 to 1984 as a courthouse. Now the building on the Burg houses the city archives, with the reading room located in the chapel. Next to the old Court of Justice lies the renaissance hall. Located in this former aldermen's chamber of the old Palace of the Brugse Vrije, is the monumental 16th-century Emperor-Charles-fireplace, made of oak wood, alabaster and marble, designed by Lanceloot Blondeel.

See also

51°12′30.16″N3°13′39.25″E / 51.2083778°N 3.2275694°E / 51.2083778; 3.2275694

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veurne</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Veurne is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Veurne proper and the settlements of Avekapelle, Booitshoeke, Bulskamp, De Moeren (Belgium), Eggewaartskapelle, Houtem, Steenkerke, Vinkem, Wulveringem, and Zoutenaaie.

A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from castellanus. A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1194, Beatrice of Bourbourg inherited her father's castellany of Bourbourg upon the death of her brother, Roger. Similarly, Agnes became the castellan of Harlech Castle upon the death of her husband John de Bonvillars in 1287. The title of "governor" is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant of the medieval idea of the castellan as head of the local prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procession of the Holy Blood</span> Catholic procession on Ascension Day in Bruges, Belgium

The Procession of the Holy Blood is a large religious Catholic procession, dating back to the Middle Ages, which takes place each Ascension Day in Bruges, Belgium. In 2009, it was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markt, Bruges</span> Square in Bruges, Belgium

The Markt is the central square of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is located in the city centre and covers an area of about 1 ha. On the south side of the square is one of the city's most famous landmarks, the 12th-century Belfry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kortrijk City Hall</span>

The City Hall of Kortrijk, West Flanders, Belgium, is situated on that city's Grote Markt, between Leiestraat and Rijselsestraat. The facade in late-Gothic or early Renaissance style is adorned with statues of the Counts of Flanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Donatian's Cathedral</span>

St. Donatian's Cathedral was a Roman Catholic cathedral in Bruges, Belgium. Located on the Burg, one of the main squares in the city, it was the largest church in Bruges. The cathedral was destroyed in 1799 in the wake of the dissolution of the Diocese of Bruges during the aftermath of the French Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi</span> Church in Rome, Italy

The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospitaller, located in Rome, Italy. Historically, the church has been the National Church in Rome of the Southern Netherlands and, in 1830, became the national church of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Maele Castle, Bruges Maele Castle is a former castle in Male, once a separate village, now part of Sint-Kruis, a suburb of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. The buildings, almost entirely rebuilt and restored after the destruction of World War II, have housed St. Trudo's Abbey (Sint-Trudoabdij) from 1954 until 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruges</span> Capital of West Flanders province, Belgium

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. It is the sixth most populous city in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Wijngaerde (Begijnhof Brugge)</span> UNESCO World Heritage Site in Flanders, Belgium

The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in the Belgian city of Bruges. There are no more Beguines living there, but since 1927 it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert. In the same year the houses at the west side were also reshaped and enlarged into the Monasterium De Wijngaard, a priory of Benedictine nuns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrazola de Oñate</span> Surname list

Arrazola de Oñate is a Belgian noble family, stemming from the Arrazola family in the city of Oñate in the Basque Country. Since the 16th century a branch has been living in the Southern Netherlands, later to become the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruges City Hall</span> City hall in Bruges, Belgium

The City Hall of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, is a landmark building and the seat of that city. Built in a late-Gothic monumental style between 1376 and 1421, it is one of the oldest city halls in the former Burgundian Netherlands. It is located on Burg Square, the area of the former fortified castle in the centre of Bruges.

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Bruges, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pieter Bladelin</span>

Pieter Bladelin was an important financial advisor and civil servant to the Burgundian State. He was lord of Middelburg and built the Hof Bladelin in Bruges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathias Lambrecht</span>

Mathias Lambrecht (1539–1602) was the third bishop of Bruges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Het Steen, Bruges</span>

Het Steen was a medieval building on the Burg Square in Bruges, Belgium. Between the late 11th and late 13th centuries, it served as the residence of the Counts of Flanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burg Square</span> Square in Bruges, Belgium

Burg Square is a square and former fortress in Bruges. It is one of the main squares of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Civil Registry</span> Historic building in Flanders, Belgium

The Old Civil Registry is one of the oldest Renaissance buildings in Flanders. It is located on Burg Square in Bruges, between the Manor of the Franc of Bruges and the City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolt of Ghent (1379–1385)</span>

The Revolt of Ghent (1379-1385) was an uprising by the city of Ghent against the count of Flanders and the king of France. Under the leadership of successively Jan Hyoens, Philip van Artevelde and Frans Ackerman, Ghent rebelled against Count Louis II of Flanders, Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy and King Charles VI of France. It was an expression of the growing power of the Third Estate and of economic ties with England that had been strained by the Hundred Years' War. After six years of war, Ghent submitted to the ducal authority while avoiding further punishment. The dream of an autonomous city-state failed, and the era of royal centralization continued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghent City Hall</span>

The City Hall of Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium, is a four-sided complex surrounded by the Botermarkt, the Hoogpoort, the Stadhuissteeg and the Poeljemarkt. The main wings are the late-Gothic alderman's house of De Keure and the alderman's house of Gedele in the Renaissance style. The building has 51 halls.