County of Flanders

The County of Flanders was one of the most powerful political entities in the medieval Low Countries, located on the North Sea coast of what is now Belgium. Unlike its neighbours such as the counties of Brabant and Hainaut, it was within the territory of the Kingdom of France. The counts of Flanders held the most northerly part of the kingdom, and were among the original twelve peers of France. For centuries, the economic activity of the Flemish cities such as Ghent, Bruges and Ypres made Flanders one of the most affluent regions in Europe, and also gave them strong international connections to trading partners. Up to 1477, the core area under French suzerainty was west of the Scheldt and was called "Royal Flanders" (Dutch: Kroon-Vlaanderen, French: Flandre royale). Aside from this, the counts, from the 11th century onward, held land east of the river as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire: "Imperial Flanders" (Rijks-Vlaanderen or Flandre impériale). The county joined its Low Country neighbours within the Burgundian Netherlands from 1384, which eventually complicated its relationship with France. Most of the county became part of the Empire after the Peace of Madrid in 1526 and the Peace of the Ladies in 1529. By 1795 the entire Austrian Netherlands, the successor of the Burgundian Netherlands, was acquired by France under the French First Republic, and this was recognized by treaty in 1797. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, these territories, including most of the old county of Flanders, passed to the newly established United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was split up between 1830 and 1839 into the modern countries of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The territories of the old county are now the only part of the late medieval French kingdom outside of modern-day France, Catalonia having been renounced in 1258. The term Flanders originally referred to the area around Bruges. It is first mentioned in the biography of Saint Eligius (590–660), the Vita sancti Eligii. The work was written before 684 but has been known only since 725.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (103)

Related lectures (2)

Urban Sprawl: Past, Present, and Future AR-365: Theory and architectural culture

Explores the historical evolution and challenges of urban sprawl, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning solutions.

Derivatives: A Brief History MGT-301: Foundations in financial economics

Explores the history and evolution of derivatives markets and securities tied to underlying assets.

Silva Carbonaria

Silva Carbonaria, the "charcoal forest", was the dense old-growth forest of beech and oak that formed a natural boundary during the Late Iron Age through Roman times into the Early Middle Ages across what is now western Wallonia. The Silva Carbonaria was a vast forest that stretched from the rivers Zenne and the Dijle in the north to the Sambre in the south. Its northern outliers reached the then marshy site of modern Brussels.

Béthune

Béthune (betyn ; archaic Betun and Bethwyn historically in English) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department. Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated south-east of Calais, west of Lille, and north of Paris. Béthune is a town rich in architectural heritage and history. It has, among other features, a large paved square with shops, cafés, and a (133 steps) belfry standing in the center from the top of which the Belgian border can be seen.

Mouscron

Mouscron (mukʁɔ̃; Dutch and Moeskroen, muˈskrun; Picard and Walloon: Moucron) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, along the border with the French city of Tourcoing, which is part of the Lille metropolitan area. The municipality consists of the following districts: Dottignies, Herseaux, Luingne, and Mouscron. In accordance with the national law, the municipality offers facilities for the Dutch speaking minority. Kortrijk, in Flanders, is located just to the north of Mouscron.