Monday 13 July 2015
Impressions of Bruges #8
The historic centre of Bruges is a World Heritage Site, just like Saltaire. Also on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list are the Flemish Béguinages. The Béguines were lay women (often quite well-to-do) who devoted their lives to God without retiring from the world and without taking lifetime vows as a nun would do. They occupied themselves by helping the poor, teaching and preaching. They lived in sheltered, walled communities which provided these single women with protection in a world that was often hostile to women outside the family or church. The Bruges Béguinage was established in 1245 with cloistered houses (originally timber) and a church clustered around a large, central courtyard. The existing whitewashed houses were built in the 18th century and part of it is now occupied by a community of Benedictine nuns. One of the houses is open as a museum so that you can easily imagine what it might have been like in days gone by. It is still a very peaceful place, despite the masses of tourists walking through.
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Brugges is a wonderfull city, greeting from Mons Belgium
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Women could still use some protection from the world in many places. This looks quite peaceful, Jenny.
ReplyDeleteI have always been intrigued by the idea of the beguines an arrangement ilie that today might be a good thing for some women.
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