Abstract
An essay in Scroop 24: Future Domestic, Autumn 2015, entitled The Flemish Béguinage; Privacy, Piety and the City.
Inscribed into the urban grain of many Northern European towns and
cities are some particular and intriguing figures. Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp,
Leuven, and Turnhout—each has its own béguinage or begijnhof. Dating
from the thirteenth century onwards, the larger urban ensembles,
sometimes termed 'court' béguinages, are within the region of Flanders.
The UNESCO listing of the Flemish béguinages cites their value as exemplars
of medieval concepts of urban development, which were widespread
internationally and preserved in these miniature cities intact; they were
small towns within towns, set apart from urban life. The béguinages were enclosed communities of single women, often widows of frequent European wars, gathered together for security—spiritual, physical and financial. This essay examines the urban, social and political background of these ensembles considering in detail their material form and expression.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 82-95 |
| Journal | Scroope: Cambridge Architecture Journal |
| Volume | 24 |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Impact: 'Scroope: The Cambridge Architecture Journal' is edited and produced annually by graduate students of the Cambridge Department of Architecture. Founded in 1989, it continues to provide a platform for debate in and around architecture, urban design and wider cultural concerns. The journal is sold in the majority of UK architectural bookstores and read widely in the architectural profession.Keywords
- History of art, architecture and design