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 1434–1440 the Vrije added a tribunal to the southern side, facing towards Groenerei [ nl ], a canal in Bruges. In 1520–1525, 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 1528–1532. In 1606–1607, a chapel was added next to the aldermen's chamber and in 1664–1666 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 1722–1727 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.
Simon Stevin, sometimes called Stevinus, was a Flemish mathematician, scientist and music theorist. He made various contributions in many areas of science and engineering, both theoretical and practical. He also translated various mathematical terms into Dutch, making it one of the few European languages in which the word for mathematics, wiskunde, was not a loanword from Greek but a calque via Latin. He also replaced the word chemie, the Dutch for chemistry, by scheikunde, made in analogy with wiskunde.
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.
Zwijndrecht is both a village and a municipality located in the Flemish province of Antwerp, in Belgium. As well as Zwijndrecht proper, the municipality includes the village of Burcht. In 2021, Zwijndrecht had a total population of 19,263.
A castellan is the title used in medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. 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. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Sometimes also known as a constable of the castle district, the Constable of the Tower of London is, in fact, a form of castellan, with representative powers in the local or national assembly. 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 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.
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.
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.
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, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population.
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.
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. The Current Head is the Duchess Nathalie Chandler Arrazola de Oñate d’Arenberg. The next in line is Prince, Viktor Sacha Arrazola de Oñate d’Arenberg.
The City Hall of Bruges, Belgium, is one of the oldest city halls in the entire Netherlands region. 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.
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.
Mathias Lambrecht (1539–1602) was the third bishop of Bruges.
Het Steen was a medieval building on the Burg Square in the Belgian town of Bruges. Between the late 11th and late 13th centuries, it served as the residence of the Counts of Flanders.
Burg Square is a square and former fortress in Bruges. It is one of the main squares of the city.
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.
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 has failed and the era of royal centralization continued.
Ghent City Hall is a four-sided complex in Ghent, 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.
