Burgundian Regime

Burgundian Regime
(1430-1477)
   In 1390, Joan, duchess of Brabant, acknowledged the right of her sister's daughter, Margaret of Male, and the latter's sons to inherit her domains. She did so in gratitude for assistance given her by Marguerite's husband, Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy, in a war between Brabant and Gelderland. Duchess Joan, who died in 1406, outlived Margaret (d. 1405), the duchy passed to Anthony of Burgundy, and dynastic discord ensued until, in 1430, Philip the Good received title to Brabant.
   Under the Burgundians, Brussels became part of a large territorial state. Despite fears by city officials that rule by the powerful House of Burgundy would lead to curtailment of privileges, civil liberties were maintained, although a diminution of urban prerogatives in favor of the sovereign was evident after 1445. Authorities fought vigorously attempts by Philip to limit urban rights—in 1456-1457 he appointed protégés to city offices—but they dutifully paid the requisite levies owed the prince. The duke spent all but several days in the city in 1460, 1462, and 1465, and in the court's wake came administrators and visitors, creating a clientele who lodged in the city and spent lavishly. Luxury industries— tapestries, gold- and silverworks—flourished.
   Still, Brussels experienced significant economic difficulties. City finances suffered ruinously from the wars of Charles the Bold, to which authorities were obliged to contribute, throwing the city in debt in paying subsidies to the ruling house. The currency fell in value and prices rose. Famine raged in 1478-1479. Quarrels among the patricians in the 1460s and 1470s led to the rising of 1477 and to the momentary abolition of the lignages.
   The marriage of Charles's daughter Mary of Burgundy to Maximilian of Austria introduced Hapsburg rule. In 1488, Brussels, together with Flanders and with rebels elsewhere in Brabant, waged war against Maximilian, but the allies suffered defeat in August 1489. Plague ensued. By the turn of the 16th century, the city's financial straits were such as to compel the sovereign to intervene for the first time in 200 years in placing city finances under the guardianship of royal authority. The arrival of the Hapsburgs would make Brussels capital of a far-flung empire under Charles V.

Historical Dictionary of Brussels. .

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Belgium — /bel jeuhm/, n. a kingdom in W Europe, bordering the North Sea, N of France. 10,203,683; 11,779 sq. mi. (30,508 sq. km). Cap.: Brussels. French, Belgique /bel zheek /; Flemish, België /bel khee euh/. * * * Belgium Introduction Belgium Background …   Universalium

  • History of Belgium — The history of Belgium, from pre history to the present day, is intertwined with the histories of its European neighbours, in particular those of the Netherlands and Luxembourg. A feature of modern history is the number of wars between other… …   Wikipedia

  • Joan of Arc, Saint — French Jeanne d Arc born с 1412, Domrémy, Bar, Fr. died May 30, 1431, Rouen; canonized May 16, 1920; feast day May 30 French military heroine. She was a peasant girl who from an early age believed she heard the voices of Sts. Michael, Catherine,… …   Universalium

  • French —    French is an imported language in Brussels introduced during the Burgundian regime. French words were used in the city during the Middle Ages, when expressions such as allez, allez were spoken and written, but it was the arrival of a French… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Primary Sources — ♦ Bruce, John, ed. Historie of the Arrivall of Edward IV in England and the Final Recouerye of His Kingdomes from Henry VI. In Three Chronicles of the Reign of Edward IV. Introduction by Keith Dockray. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Alan Sutton… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

  • Forêt de Soignes/Zoniënwoud —    Situated southeast of Brussels, the Forêt de Soignes lies beyond the Bois de la Cambre. Dubbed the lungs of Brussels and comprising a rolling woodland of 80 percent beech and 20 percent oak and conifer trees, the forest extends approximately 4 …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Hospitals/Hospices —    Religious orders ran hospitals for the poor while the wealthy were cared for at home during the Middle Ages and early modern period. The first hospitals were established in the 12th century as lodgings for poor travelers. The hospital of Notre …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Languages —    The status of Brussels as capital and its location close to the country s linguistic divide has made the city both the focal point and the flash point of issues raised by language that have riven modern Belgium.    A Dutch dialect was the… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Saint-Laurent, Rue/Sint-Laurensstraat —    The rue Saint Laurent served as the center of legalized prostitution in Brussels until World War II. Prostitution in the city originated with the public baths (étuves, stoeven) that appeared on the Stoofstraat (Steam Bath Street), one of the… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Literature —    One of the great mystical authors of the Middle Ages, Jan van Ruusbroec wrote devotional treatises from his monastery in the Forêt de Soignes in the 14th century. French poet Eustache Deschamps spent three years in Brussels about 1380 and… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”