BRUGES HISTORY

To the casual observer, Bruges will come across as a huge set for a period piece taking place in the middle ages. The Venice of the north, as it is known, is a well-preserved city where the entire historic center has been recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The history of Bruges begins around 2000 years ago. At this time there was a Gallic-Roman settlement on the site of the city. The inhabitants survived and prospered by agriculture and trade. During the third and fourth centuries the Romans had a fortification here and by the mid sixth century this fort had possibly become the most important one on the Flemish Coast.

During the next few centuries trade and contact began with Scandinavia and the Vikings. The name Bruges is derived from the old Scandinavian word "Bryggja" which means landing area and harbor. The city continued to grow due to its proximity to the North Sea and by the ninth century Bruges was an important commercial center and had a strong citadel called the Burg.

By the eleventh century Bruges had become an important commercial center for Europe. During this time though the natural link between Bruges and the sea silted over. A severe storm and flood in 1134 changed the appearance of the Flemish coast and a deep channel appeared, the Zwin, which at the time reached as far as present day Damme.

In the thirteen-century merchants from all over the world were visiting Bruges. They came to sell their goods and to buy acclaimed Flemish cloth. This time was a time of civil unrest also. In 1302 an uprising of residents took the side of the Flemish count against the king of France. On 11 July 1302, an event took place that shook the world. Local residents and many Brugian craftsmen, supported by the count being held captive in France, battled an army of what the Flemish felt were arrogant French noblemen.

The local residents and craftsmen selected the marshlands for the battle. The French nobleman and their warhorses helplessly sank into the marsh of the Groeningekouter, and were dispatched one by one. In the 19th century a statue was erected in the Brugian market for Jan Breydel and Pieter De Coninck, two deans of the Brugian guild who organized the victory known in history as the Battle of the Golden Spurs, which today remains a symbol of civic revolt.

In the fourteenth century Bruges turned into an international financial and trading center. Several countries had their own representation in Bruges, including the Italians, the Germans, the Scottish and the Spanish. This helped create what was a multicultural European city. Prosperity increased and art and culture flourished.

The decline of Bruges' wealth started in the 15th century due to the unstoppable silting up of the Zwin and the competition with the bigger harbor of Antwerp. In the sixteenth century Bruges began to recover to an extent, but the city had clearly lost its leading regional position. The split from the Netherlands in1584 led to the final decline of Bruges early prosperity.

Through the seventh and eighteenth centuries Bruges still maintained some of its capitalist spirit with merchants still trading with England and the West Indies. The city did struggle through the following centuries and at one time was Belgium’s poorest city. New industries where tried but with little success. The city again began to attract attention in the late nineteenth century when it was discovered by International tourism and tourists. The cities heritage and culture begin to bring once again prosperity to the town and region.

Today visitors from all over the world explore and experience the wonders and charms of medieval and historic Bruges.

home