Days Four and Five: Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is a UNESCO World heritage site.  There are over 600 buildings that are protected for their historic value.  Bruges is an old city.  It feels older than Amsterdam, perhaps because it ceased to be important as a city for trade when the port silted up, so it was left in somewhat of a medieval time-warp.  Bruges was one of the most important cities in Northern Europe during the high Middle Ages.  It was the first to become politically independent with its own charter. The city at its peak had a population of 35,000 people, which was large for a medieval European city.  Today the historic city is well preserved, with medieval and renaissance era architecture blending together.  The layout of the streets and the overall design are just the same as they were over 600 years ago.

The influence and wealth of the city’s historic merchant class is very present even in the modern city.  Many notable works of art were commissioned by the town’s merchants; in many cases these self-same men were worked into the art work, standing as witnesses to Christ’s birth or a similar theme of religious art.                        

 Bruges has many beautiful museums and churches, including one church that is a pilgrimage site for the Holy Blood of Jesus, which is still viewed as a holy relic today.  It was on view when I visited the Church of the Holy Blood.  

 The museums in Bruges highlighted the Flemish Renaissance artists, especially Jan Van Eyck and Hans Memling.  One of the most interesting museums is actually the former hospital of Saint John, which dates back to the medieval period and was run by nuns.  There is also a convent of Beguines, semi-nuns, which was very peaceful and beautiful in its simplicity.  Having come from Amsterdam, I am struck by the strong contrast of the Catholic culture in Bruges as compared to the Protestant reformation influence in Holland.  Here the only desecration to the local Catholic churches came from Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution.  One of the oldest churches in Bruges, the Church of Saint Donatus, was sold off by the French during the Revolution and demolished.  Recently a hotel was built over the same site and in the process of building a new foundation the remains of the original city walls and church foundations were found, as well as a water well filled with medieval “trash”—a great archeological treasure trove of everyday life over time.