Beguinage+of+Bruges

=Beguinage of Bruges=

Paige Bjerke - Belguim
Generally put a Beguinage is a complex that single women, called Beguines, lived in, within a city or town that would have church, living quarters and sometimes an infirmary. The women were typically Catholic and took a vow of chastity, they dressed like nuns but didn’t have to take formal vows and could leave when they wanted to get married. The women would leave during the day for work and be locked into their small community at night for their safety. Most of them came from some type of means or had to have a wealthy supporter who was paying for their needs.

Beguinages were all over Europe and historians originally thought they became popular because so many men were lost to war that women needed a place to be productive on their own. It is now believed that they were formed by women who wanted to have some independence, work and maybe marry later in life. They date back as early as 1240. One of the most famous one is the Beguinage of Bruges.

The Beguinage of Bruges was founded in 1244 by Margaret of Constantinople. It contains a church and 30 white houses that mostly surround a courtyard. It also is known for its beautiful stonework including its three arched stone bridge and its entrance gate that was built in 1776 by master mason Hendrik Bultynck. It is the only preserved beguinage in Belguim and since 1927 has been a convent for Benedictines.