Flemish Béguinages

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On a panel in situ : "The Flemish beguinages are a unique testimony to the medieval mystical movement which produced them. Beguines were religious women, widows or spinsters who wished to live an independent but committed life outside the recognized orders with their vows of fidelity and poverty. They organized themselves in self-supported Cities of Peace with architectural and urban qualities".

Brief description

Source © UNESCO : http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/855

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages, enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemish béguinages 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.