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Via Nostalgia
Flemish Béguinages 1
Flemish Béguinages 2
Flemish Béguinages 3
Flemish Béguinages 4
Flemish Béguinages 5
© UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCO WHCCulturalInscribed 1998

Flemish Béguinages

Overview

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemish béguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.

About Flemish Béguinages

A beguinage, from the French term béguinage, is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world.

Read more on Wikipedia

Selection Criteria

(ii)(iii)(iv)

Components(13 locations)

Details

Countries
Belgium
ISO Codes
BE
Area
59.95 ha
Coordinates
51.0310, 4.4737
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Flemish Béguinages