- This article is about the city in Belgium. See also Bruges, France.
Bruges (Flemish: Brugge, a name signifying the
bridge or the place of bridges) is the historic capital of West
Flanders, Flanders being one of the three regions of Belgium.
The municipality comprises the city of Bruges proper and the towns of Assebroek, Dudzele, Koolkerke, Lissewege, Sint-Andries, Sint-Jozef, Sint-Kruis, Sint-Michiels, Sint-Pieters, Zeebrugge, and Zwankendamme. On January 1st, 2004 Bruges had a total population of 117,025 (56,685
males and 60,340 females). The total area is 138.40 kmē which gives
a population density of 845.54 inhabitants per kmē.
Bruges is one of Belgium's chief tourist attractions, and was European Capital of Culture in 2002, together with
Salamanca. In 1911 the Encyclopaedia Britannica observed that "its
medieval appearance is better preserved, as a whole, than in the case of any
other Belgian city."
History
The history of Bruges begins in a very modest way more than 2000 years ago as a Gallo-Roman settlement. The name Bruges comes
from the Old Norse "Bryggja" which means 'landing stage'. The name Bruges appears on documents and coins in the middle of
the ninth century. At that time there was already a strong citadel in
Bruges.
Bruges has a long tradition of international port activity. The oldest trade settlement of Bruges and the early Medieval port
was accessible from the sea until around 1050. A storm flood in 1134 reshaped the Flemish coastal plain: a deep channel appeared,
the Zwin, which at the time reached as far as present day Damme. The city remained linked to the sea until the fifteenth century
via a canal from the Zwin to Bruges. But Bruges had to use a number of outports, such as Damme and Sluis for this purpose.
By the eleventh century Bruges had expanded to become a commercial centre for Europe. With the reawakening of town life in the
12th century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry and the market for cloth all profited from the shelter of city walls,
where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the counts of Flanders. Bruges was already included in the sequential circuit of the Flemish cloth fairs at
the beginning of the 13th century. The city's entrepreneurs reached out to make economic colonies of England and Scotland's
wool-rearing districts. English contacts brought Normandy grain and Gascon wines. Hanse
ships filled the harbor, which had to be expanded beyond Damme to Sluys to accomodate the new cog-ships, round as
walnut-shells. In 1277 the first merchant fleet from Genoa appeared in the port of
Bruges, first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean, opening not just the
spices from the Levant, but advanced commercial and financial techniques and a flood of capital that soon took over the banking
of Bruges. The Bourse opened in 1309 and developed into the most sophisticated money
market of the Low Countries in the 14th century. By the time the Venetian galleys first appeared, in 1314, they were latecomers.
(Braudel 1984)
The population swelled, from some 35,000 inhabitants in 1340 to perhaps 100,000 before 1500, when the natural link between
Bruges and the sea silted up and the port of Antwerp was a rival.
Yet the ships in the harbor were foreign ships, and as Pirenne pointed out "her inhabitants played only a minor part in active
commerce. They were content to act as intermediaries for the merchants who flocked into the town." As even the great took a
passive role, not every citizen of Bruges floated on the rising economic tide: the differences in income between the tradesmen
and the patricians were great. Violent revolts, like those of 1280 and 1436-1438 were roughly suppressed. In the 1302 uprising
the ordinary people took the side of the Count of Flanders against the king of France— and the propertied classes. First
the French garrison was murdered in May 1302, two months later Bruges took part in the Flemish victory in the Battle of the Golden Spurs on July 11, 1302.
After a decline during the late 14th and 15th century, Bruges recovered to an extent during the 16th century, but the city had
lost its leading trade position to Antwerp. The split from the Netherlands in
1584 led to the final decline of Bruges. By 1600 Bruges was a provincial city with a modest
maritime reputation.
The first book in English ever printed was published here by William
Caxton. King Charles II of England spent some of his
time in exile here.
Reference:
- Braudel, Fernand, The Perspective of the World, vol III of Civilization and Capitalism 1984
Sights
Like Ghent, but on a more concentrated scale, it has most of its medieval architecture intact.
Miscellaneous
The Dutch mathematician Simon Stevin (1548-1620) was born in Bruges.
French NBA player Tony Parker was born in Bruges while his American
father was playing professional basketball there.
The fictional character, Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movie series is also supposed to be from Bruges.
Several beers come from Bruges : Brugse Tripel (blond beer), Brugs (white beer, brewed by Alken-Maes).
Bruges is also a football town as they are regularly
represented by two teams at the top level (Jupiler League) :
Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge K.S.V.
Transportation
A large area of the center of town is carfree.
External link
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