Beguinages

Typically Flemish phenomenon

Beguinages are a typically Flemish phenomenon. Nearly every Flemish town of any importance had one or more beguinages. A beguinage consists of a number of small houses within a courtyard enclosed by walls. Twenty-six of them have survived and are protected by law. The beguinages reveal unique architectural qualities.

First beguinages

The first beguinages were established in the early 13th century in Flanders. The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. Due to a surplus of women, convents were overcrowded. However, a large number of women from all classes shared the same longing for a mystical and religious lifestyle. To ensure a stable social position for themselves, they founded semi-religious communities. These were the very first beguinages.

Beguinages are architectural ensembles

Beguinages flourished under Spanish rule and especially from the 17th century on. The movement reached its nadir after the French revolution, when Napoleon attempted to smother all religious activities.
The Flemish beguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.

World heritage

In Belgium, the 13 world heritage beguinages consist of the ones in Brugge, Dendermonde, Diest, Gent, Hoogstraten, Kortrijk, Leuven, Lier, Mechelen, Sint-Amandsberg, Sint-Truiden, Tongeren, and Turnhout.

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