Medieval Bruges
c. 850–1550

The first 'total' history of one of the most important cities in medieval Europe, integrating socio-economic, political and cultural aspects.

Andrew Brown (Edited by), Jan Dumolyn (Edited by)

9781108419659, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 May 2018

568 pages, 18 b/w illus. 8 tables
25.4 x 18.2 x 3 cm, 1.29 kg

'Within these pages, the urban biography of a metropolis unfolds: in the Middle Ages, Bruges was a powerful, lively and seductive city which positioned itself at the heart of networks of power between the cities of Europe, and also in their collective imagination. A total history was the only way to do this story justice. This is what the authors of this book, with passion and precision, are offering us today.' Patrick Boucheron, Collège de France

Bruges was undoubtedly one of the most important cities in medieval Europe. Bringing together specialists from both archaeology and history, this 'total' history presents an integrated view of the city's history from its very beginnings, tracing its astonishing expansion through to its subsequent decline in the sixteenth century. The authors' analysis of its commercial growth, industrial production, socio-political changes, and cultural creativity is grounded in an understanding of the city's structure, its landscape and its built environment. More than just a biography of a city, this book places Bruges within a wider network of urban and rural development and its history in a comparative framework, thereby offering new insights into the nature of a metropolis.

Foreword Marc Boone
Introduction Andrew Brown and Jan Dumolyn
1. Origins and early history Jan Dumolyn, Georges Declercq, Brigitte Meijns, Bieke Hillewaert, Yann Hollevoet, Marc Ryckaert and Wim De Clercq
2. The urban landscape I: c.1100–c.1275 Jan Dumolyn, Marc Ryckaert, Brigitte Meijns, Heidi Deneweth and Luc Devliegher
3. Production, markets and socio-economic structures I: c.1100–c.1320 Peter Stabel, Jeroen Puttevils and Jan Dumolyn
4. Social groups, political power and institutions, c.1100–1304 Jan Dumolyn, Georges Declercq and Jelle Haemers
5. The urban landscape II: c.1275–c.1500 Jan Dumolyn, Marc Ryckaert, Heidi Deneweth, Luc Devliegher and Guy Dupont
6. Production, markets and socio-economic structures II: c.1320–c.1500 Peter Stabel, Jeroen Puttevils, Jan Dumolyn, Bart Lambert, James M. Murray and Guy Dupont
7. Political power and social groups, c.1300–c.1500 Jan Dumolyn, Frederik Buylaert, Guy Dupont, Jelle Haemers and Andy Ramandt
8. Religious practices c.1200–1500 Andrew Brown and Hendrik Callewier
9. Texts, images and sounds in the urban environment, c.1100–c.1500 Maximiliaan P. J. Martens, Johan Oosterman, Nele Gabriëls, Andrew Brown and Hendrik Callewier
10. Bruges in the sixteenth century: a 'return to normalcy' Ludo Vandamme, Peter Stabel, Jan Dumolyn, Andrew Brown, Maximiliaan P. J. Martens, Nele Gabriëls and Johan Oosterman
Conclusion: Bruges within the medieval urban landscape Andrew Brown and Jan Dumolyn.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD]