Bruges, Belgium

I think we could all do with a bit of a vacation right now, even if it's just a virtual one.  So I thought this would be a good time to travel a bit farther afield. I am a bit out of my expertise on the history here, so if you find anything wrong feel free to correct me.  I’ve done my best to try and be accurate but my usual sources are no help when I’m abroad. I hope you enjoy it.

In 843 there was, as yet, no such place as Bruges. Most of Western Europe was ruled by the Emperor Charlemagne and in this year, he divided his territory between his grandchildren.  Ludwig the German received the territory that roughly became Germany.  Charles the Bald was bequeathed France and Flanders, whilst Lortharius received parts of Italy and Southern France. Thus setting the boundaries for a large part of Europe’s future.

Bruges is younger than many other Flemish towns. Its history dates back only to the 9th Century, when the Vikings invaded Flanders by sailing into the area.  Charles the Bald sent one of his subjects to the rescue of Flanders, after it had suffered greatly in the wake of the Norse invasion.  

The first Count of Flanders, was Baldwin Iron Arm. He was married to Judith, who was the daughter of Charles the Bald. Judith had previously been married to Aethelwulf, King of Wessex.  After Aethelwulf died, she return to France. She and Baldwin had to elope, as her father did not give permission for the marriage and tried to have Baldwin captured to prevent it.  Having been unsuccessful, Charles the Bald then had the couple excommunicated.  Judith and Baldwin travelled to Rome to plead their case directly with the Pope, who sided with the couple and Charles was forced to accept the situation. 

Count Baldwin became a loyal and faithful supporter of Charles the Bald and defended Flanders against the Viking invasions.  Count Baldwin built a castle on the Flemish coast, where the Vikings had once come ashore at Bryghia.  Over time, a town grew up around the castle and gradually developed, through connected rivers and canals, to the North Sea and the Zwin.  The name Bryghiak, or Brygga, meaning harbour, later became Brugge or Bruges.

There is a story about Baldwin and Judith that tells us that while the couple were riding in the forest near Bruges, they were threatened by a huge bear that blocked their path.  Baldwin slew the animal with one stroke of his lance.  Afterwards, the bear became the heraldic emblem of Bruges.

By the 10th Century, the city began to grow as a business centre.  Merchants would land in its harbour and this attracted traders.  The city would grow to become one of the most prosperous medieval market towns in Europe.

Bruges became one of the most important harbours and centres of commerce in northern Europe.  It was a popular trading hub, due to its ease of reach and central location.  Its tidal inlet was important for the cities growth.  Bruges received a charter in 1128 and new walls and canals were built.  By the end of the 11th Century, it had become the capital of Flanders.

By the 13th Century, the entrepreneurial merchants of Bruges developed an innovative system, whereby several merchants would share the risks and profits by pooling their knowledge of markets, and thus minimising their risks. They created new forms of economic exchange, by using promissory notes and letters of credit.  The city also welcomed foreign traders, notably the Portuguese traders, selling pepper and spices.

In the 13th century Bruges was under the protection of the Counts of Flanders, merchants could safely store goods within the city walls.  However, the opulence of the merchants, who often monopolised the trade, contradicted with the city’s craftsmen who were often exploited, which led to conflict.  Various uprisings were suppressed, but at the same time Guy de Dampierre, the Count of Flanders, was trying to maintain Flanders autonomy but met with strong opposition from Philip IV, the King of France.

In 1294, Philip IV of France wanted to tighten his control of Flanders, which caused tensions between himself and Count Guy of Flanders. Wanting more support against the French King, and in typical medieval fashion, the Count arranged a marriage between his daughter Philippa and Edward, Price of Wales.  King Philip then managed to imprisoned Count Guy and his two sons and forced him to call off the marriage.  He also imprisoned Philippa in Paris, where she remained until her death in 1306.  In 1296, the French king decided to take the principal cities of Flanders under his protection, until the Count paid an indemnity and surrendered his territories, forcing the Count to make the decision to ally himself with Edward I of England, in 1297. To which King Philip responded by annexing all of Flanders to royal domain, back under French control.

Count Guy of Flanders fought the French army and lost at the Battle of Furnes.  Edward I of England had planned an expedition into Flanders but it was aborted when he made peace with King Philip of France in 1298, leaving Count Guy at the mercy of the French army, who invaded Flanders again in 1299, and captured the Count and his son Robert in 1300.

In 1301, King Philip of France rode into Bruges and installed his uncle, Jacques de Chantillon, as its governor.  Many of the people of Bruges did not like the more oppressive French rule, this caused friction between different factions within the city, with some brandishing Count Guy's emblem. After two years of French rule, the unrest erupted on the 18th of May 1302, when the citizens of Bruges rose up and mercilessly massacred the French garrison.

When King Phillip IV of France heard of the uprising in Bruges, he organized an army under Count Robert II of Artois, to put down the rebellion.  Bruges led the revolt against the King of France, which took place on the 11th of July 1302, at Courtrai in the Groeninge marches.  The French cavalry were defeated and lost their shining spurs, which gave the Battle of Golden Spurs its name. The battle also helped to empower the cities artisans.

Despite various uprisings, the Flemish Counts were unable to re-establish their domain in Flanders.  In the 14th Century, further crises hit Europe, when plague and famine raged throughout.  In 1369, the last Count of Flanders, Louis de Male, gave the hand of his only daughter in marriage, to Philip the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy.  He was a younger son of King John II of France, and through this marriage Flanders was brought into the possession of the Dukes of Burgundy. Bruges became a favourite residence of the Dukes of Burgundy, who brought with them the Burgundian court. 

In the 14th Century, Bruges developed further and many European countries such as Italy, Germany and Spain, had their own representation in Bruges.  It became a European centre, where many different languages could be heard.

Bruges reached its heights in the 15th Century.  It was an advanced and wealthy town.  The town prospered though commerce and trade and was widely known for its weavers.  It hosted branches of the major European bankers, and became a financial centre of international standing.  It had become one of the largest cultural centres of Europe.

Bruges was also a town of the arts.  The wealth of the town attracted painters, and among them were the painters of the Flemish School of Primitive Painting.  In 1428, Jan van Eyck had been asked to travel to Portugal to paint a portrait of the daughter of King John I, the Lady Isabella, for Philip the Good in advance of their marriage.

The Dukes of Burgundy made Bruges their main residence in the 15th Century.  Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, founded the Order of the Golden Fleece, (similar to the Order of the Garter in England) in Bruges in 1430, in commemoration of his wedding to Isabella of Portugal.  Philip's Court was regarded as the most splendid in Europe.

Philip the Good’s son, Charles the Bold, became Duke of Burgundy upon his father’s death in 1467. He had been married at the age of seven to the daughter of King Charles VII of France, but she had died at the age of 18.  In 1454, Charles had been married for a second time, to Isabella of Bourbon, but she had also died in 1465. However, they had one child together, a daughter, named Mary. For Charles' third wife, he chose to ally himself to the House of York, in England and married Margaret of York, the sister of the King of England.  They were married in Bruges in 1468, after the signing of a complex marriage agreement, which covered mutual defence, trade, currency exchange, fishing rights and freedom of travel. Margaret entered Bruges after the marriage, in a golden litter drawn by white horses.   The celebrations also included the Tournament of the Golden Tree.

When King Edward IV fled England in 1470, with his brother the Duke of York, it was the Burgundian court that they fled to in Bruges. Charles the Bold finally decided to back his brother-in-law Edward, and help him to reclaim his throne.

Charles the Bold died fighting the Swiss at Nancy, in 1477.  His marriage to Margaret had produced no children- his daughter Mary, from his second marriage, was his heir.  Mary was now the sole heiress to a vast fortune, and it was Margaret who guided her in deciding on a husband. Mary of Burgundy was married to Maximilian of Habsburg, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III.  In 1478, Mary gave birth to her son and heir, Philip the Handsome. In 1480, they also had a daughter they named Margaret. Mary died in 1482 ,when she fell from her horse whilst hunting, and broke her back.  Maximilian made peace with King Louis of France, by betrothing his daughter Margaret to the young Dauphin of France, and the child was sent to be raised at the French court, taking with her the Counties of Burgundy and Artois as her dowry.

Margaret of York had suffered much personal tragedy in just a few short years.  She had lost her husband, her step-daughter Mary, her Brother George, who was executed by her other brother Edward IV, who had himself died and was succeeded by her other brother Richard III, who had been killed at the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor’s army.  Margaret spent the rest of her life backing anyone who challenged Henry Tudor, and was a supporter of both Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck.  Margaret died at the Palace at Mechelen in 1503.

Philip the Handsome became Duke of Burgundy, on the death of his mother Mary in 1482.  He married Joanna of Castile. They had 6 surviving children and every one of them would sit on a throne in Europe. It is their descendants who still rule Spain today.  Philip the Handsome died in 1506 of typhoid.

At the end of the 15th Century, Bruges' fortunes changed. The harbour of Bruges began to silt up, and it became difficult or impossible for the boats to reach it.  While this was the downfall of the town, it is also what has preserved it.  The town went into decline for the next 400 years - there was no money even to demolish the old buildings, and so they have survived.  The poverty of the past centuries, has worked to preserve the town for the future. It can been seen as a typical medieval Flemish town, indeed, it may be the only place where we can see, and understand, a medieval town in it’s entirety.  Almost all of the locations of important buildings are known, even if some have been heavily restored or even rebuilt in places. Crucially, the medieval layout of the town is unchanged. 

On the old city boundary, by the Dampoort, where the old city walls once stood, you can still see the windmills.  In 1562, when Marcus Gerards drew a map of the town, there were 25 windmills shown.  The windmills of Bruges were both private and municipal property, and were used to grind grain and extract oil.  The law in Bruges at the time gave the town authorities the exclusive rights to the wind, meaning that anyone who wanted to put up a mill would have to pay the town for the use of the wind over which they claimed ownership. Today four windmills remain, however two are recreations, whilst the other two date from the 18th Century.

The Historic Centre of Bruges, still holds the town records of administration and regulations from the 13th Century onwards.  The historic centre has maintained it's original pattern of streets, squares, canals and open spaces.  For the most part, the buildings have retained the original parcels of land.  The architecture represents all periods of history, with substantial restoration and conservation work.  While Bruges was affected by the French Revolution and the Religious Wars of the 16th Century, it escaped the devastation that the First and Second World Wars brought to many other towns.

In the 19th Century, Bruges began to receive its first tourists.  It has since become a Unesco World Heritage Site and is visited by three to four million visitors annually.