Overview:

The Beguinage of Ghent is a historic site in Ghent, Belgium. Originally founded in the 13th century, the site comprises a collection of small buildings surrounded by a defensive wall. The Beguinage was once a home to Beguines, who were a religious sisterhood of lay Roman Catholic women, and was built as an act of piety by the local Bertha of Ghent. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998 and is still home to religious sisters today. The grounds contain a church, an apothecary, a convent, a cemetery, several monasteries, and a hospice. The site is popular with tourists for its beautiful landscaping and historic architecture, and today it is functioning as a Benedictine convent. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Belgium
Prominent Features:

This beguinage is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city of Ghent. The beguinage was originally founded by the Count of Flanders in 1234 as a place for religious women from the area to live a life devoted to prayer and spiritual reflection. The beguinage has a series of small houses and courtyards that were built around a church. The houses were designed with the same architectural style (Brabant Gothic) and form an enclosed, rectangular compound of around 6 hectares. The beguinage is made up of picturesque cobblestone streets lined with 18th and 19th century buildings and lush greenery. The beguinage also features a scenic pond surrounded by benches which are popular with visitors. The beguinage is part of a larger 15th century fortification wall which is also a popular attraction. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Belgium.

History:

The Beguinage of Ghent, also known as Béguinage of Sint-Amandsberg, is an association of beguines located in the Flemish city of Ghent, which was established in the 13th century. The beguinage, or ‘field of sin’, refers to a community of lay women who lived under a vow of chastity. These women, known as beguines, were dedicated to acts of charity, working in hospitals and orphanages, as well as teaching and caring for the sick and elderly. The history of the beguinage dates back to 1239, when beguines under the leadership of Marie de Brasme began to settle in Ghent. From the early 15th century, the beguinage was swollen with the arrival of refugees from the English Low Countries and the Spanish Netherlands. The beguines’ prominence in Ghent reached its height during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, when many of them joined the Reform movement. The Catholic Church also found a home in the beguinage, and eventually the two denominations shared space in the beguinage. The French invasion in 1794 destroyed much of the beguinage, including its churches. After the French Revolution, the beguinage was revived on the initiative of King William I. The beguines were disbanded in 1874 and the area converted into a residential district. In 1958, the beguinage was registered as a heritage site, and in the late 1990s it was lovingly restored. Today, the beguinage of Ghent has retained much of its original charm and remains a popular tourist destination. Visit one of the famous monuments of Belgium with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The Beguinage of Ghent is one of the oldest surviving Beguinages in Belgium, and is located in the city of Ghent. 2. Established in the early 13th century, the Beguinage is a congregation of Catholic women who have taken simple vowes of poverty, chastity and obedience. 3. The Beguinage forms an island of tranquillity and is home to the modern order of Béguines, as well as providing a home for the elderly and infirm. 4. The Beguinage is protected by the Béguines Wall, a boundary built in the 17th century in the style of a city wall, complete with towers and gates. 5. The Beguinage boasts several medieval churches, including the Holy Blood Church and St Elizabeth’s Church, as well as a range of historical buildings. 6. The Beguinage of Ghent is officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the historical monuments of Belgium, it tells the story of a bygone era