Author's excursion "Golden Autumn of the Middle Ages of Bruges"

In May 2016, I was lucky to introduce the history of Bruges famous Russian actor Evgeny Mironov. For me, a person who loves theater and cinema, it was a special honor and responsibility!
In this case, the interests of professional and personal converged. "Mysterious Bruges" was the body of the supposed excursion. I decided to dive deeper and come out in a completely different place. Get off the tourist routes polished by the feet of excursion groups. I did it! Mysterious Bruges makes its way away from the crowded streams. Here you can feel the breath of the “autumn of the Middle Ages”. How did the people of Bruges live, talk and argue about the 15th century? You will feel the atmosphere that sent the message for political change in Flanders during the Renaissance.

An essay. Well, it was a very convenient place to moor ships! At first the Franks chose it, and then the Normans christened this place BRUGGIA, which means port in Old Norse. But the parking lot is parking, and Charlemagne owned these lands. He granted Bruges, a territory with barren lands and very wetlands, to his vassal Lederic, who gave his son Engeran, who was his Odase, and Odase was already the father of Baudouin l Iron Hand.

Baudouin's morals, to be fair, were hard, not everyone could handle them! By 860, Baudouin had considerable influence, fiercely fighting the Normans, but his heart was not free. Count Baudouin was in love with the dazzling beauty Judith, by that time the widow of King Wessex Aethelwulf. And at Christmas 861, in agreement with Prince Louis, son of King Charles the Bald, kidnaps the beautiful Judith, with her consent.

The king is angry! Sends letters to the surrounding monarchs demanding not to let fugitives into their territories, deprives Baudouin of the rights of ownership of lands, but Baudouin was not so timid. The fugitives manage to reach Rome, where Pope Nicholas removed the excommunication and on December 13, 863, the marriage of Baudouin and Judith was concluded! At the same time, Baudouin announces that in order to return the confiscated lands, he is ready to enter into an alliance with the Normans. Blackmail! Where without him?

But, the statement had effect, thinking, Karl ll son-in-law accepted, kissed, the marriage of his daughter admitted. Someone has to hold these Normans back. From that moment on, the land of Flanders became... This was the beginning of the city of Bruges.

Very often the magnificent location is a key in 1134, the storm broke through the dune barrier and formed a sleeve-zip, giving direct access to the North Sea. Could it have been better? Magnificent wool from Britain was delivered directly to Bruges. Weaving production was actively developing. Commerce flourished, bringing with it big money, including to the treasury. Construction has begun! Active trade attracted the population of the city grew by the hour. Garage houses are built of stone and brick, which is natural for Flanders, given the climatic conditions and natural resources. The layout of the urban dwelling is basically the same type and simple. The same cannot be said about public and religious buildings. In temple architecture, Gothic dominates. A person who falls under the arches of the Cathedral, who sees the play of light in the stained glass windows, experiences the beautiful delight of being in the Temple of the Lord.

By the XV century craft and international trade turned Bruges into one of the richest cities in Europe. In proportion to capital gains, interest from banks grew. Influential Italian families, such as the Medici, place their capital in Bruges. Financial opportunities attracted nobles, especially appreciating luxurious life, surrounded by works of art, the demand for which, in turn, stimulated the development of Flemish painting. All the most famous world galleries have in their collections works by artists of the Flemish school.

Bruges of the Renaissance was a cultural center of Europe. I would like to mention that the Flemish painting of the Renaissance surprisingly echoes the Florentine manner of Italian painters – both schools had a beneficial effect on each other. The presence of patrons, once again, was a life-giving stimulus to the development of arts.

At the end of the XVIII century, the bay became shallow, the city lost direct access to the sea. The ducal court leaves Bruges, moving to Antwerp. A decline in business activity began, which was also caused by the development of cloth production in England. During the XVll-XVlll centuries, the decline continues, the population drops, reaching 32,000 people. In the economic rise of the nineteenth century, Bruges does not participate.

We're out of money. Perhaps it is thanks to this coincidence that we now see houses built 500 years ago (and there are many of them in Bruges), which managed to avoid numerous reconstructions, surely changing them beyond recognition? Maybe there was a special fishery in it?

Just like 500 years ago, the monastery beer in crystal is foamed with thick ambre, and in restaurants in autumn they serve game and a rabbit with prunes. Crocuses and daffodils also blossom in the courtyard of the monastery of refugee women, and the cat in the window of the house on the canal lazily watches the leaf floating through the water. In this city you want only to contemplate and memorize tastes, smells, states, so that you can enjoy a long aftertaste.

In Bruges, you can just talk about every building, every house and every street that carries the glory of the old days. Our journey through the landmarks of history in the city of Bruges is coming to an end and the only thing left for you is to get to know him in person.