Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• You can pay to climb the stairs for a look at the...
Gothic Room:
Some of modern democracy's roots lie in this
ornate room, where, for centuries, the city council met to discuss
the town's affairs (€2.50 entry includes
audioguide—which explains both the
upstairs and the ground f loor—and
entrance to the adjacent Renaissance
Hall). In 1464, one of Europe's first
parliaments, the Estates General of
the Low Countries, convened here.
The fireplace at the far end bears a
proclamation from 1305, which says,
“All the artisans, laborers...and citi-
zens of Bruges are free—all of them”
(provided they pay their taxes).
The elaborately carved and painted wooden ceiling (a Neo-
Gothic reconstruction from the 19th century) features tracery in
gold, red, and black. Five dangling arches (“pendentives”) hang
down the center, now adorned with modern floodlights. Notice
the New Testament themes carved into the circular medallions
that decorate the points where the arches meet.
he
wall murals
are late-19th-century Romantic paintings
depicting episodes in the city's history. Start with the biggest
painting along the left wall, and work clockwise, following the
numbers found on the walls:
1. Hip, hip, hooray! Everyone cheers, flags wave, trumpets
blare, and dogs bark, as Bruges' knights, dressed in gold with
black Flemish lions, return triumphant after driving out French
oppressors and winning Flanders' independence. The Battle of the
Golden Spurs (1302) is remembered every July 11.
2. Bruges' high-water mark came perhaps at this elaborate
ceremony, when Philip the Good of Burgundy (seated, in black)
assembled his court here in Bruges and solemnly founded the
knightly Order of the Golden Fleece (1429).
3. The Crusader knight, Derrick of Alsace, returns from the
Holy Land and kneels at the entrance of St. Basil's Chapel to
present the relic of Christ's Holy Blood (c. 1150).
4. A nun carries a basket of bread in this scene from St. John's
Hospital.
5. A town leader stands at the podium and hands a sealed
document to a German businessman, renewing the Hanseatic
League's business license. Membership in this club of trading
cities was a key to Bruges' prosperity.
6. As peasants cheer, a messenger of the local duke proclaims
the town's right to self-government (1190).
7. The mayor visits a Bruges painting studio to shake the
