Visit the Bruges beguinage, a haven of peace in the heart of the city

"Begijnhof" in Flemish, the beguinage spread mainly in North-West Europe, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. The movement began in the 12th century and was formed by a community of nuns who called themselves "beguines". They submitted to the monastic rules without taking their vows. It was therefore an autonomous, lay community that was not dependent on the clergy, even though its members had decided to devote their entire lives to religion. What's more, this institution ended up attracting the wrath of the Church, which did not appreciate the independence of the beguines. Beguines were often single or widowed and were regularly accused of false piety.

Being independent, these women lived from their work, almsgiving and donations from wealthy philanthropists. They often looked after the sick, worked as weavers and devoted themselves to prayer. However, the beguines retained their freedom and could go out without hindrance. Above all, they wanted to live in community. For many of them, this choice of lifestyle was a way of avoiding forced marriage while retaining their independence by not having to take their vows. Recognisable by their headdress, the béguin, it is today to their distinctive clothes that we owe the expression "to have a crush". Legend has it that beguines had a kind of power to awaken the call of God in pious women. Around the 16th century, the expression "avoir le béguin à l'envers" ("to have a crush the wrong way round") was coined, meaning to turn away from one's pious life for love. Over time, the expression evolved into the meaning we know today: to have your heart set on someone else.

In the 13th century, Belgium counted up to 90 beguinages across the country. The beguinage consisted of a group of houses grouped in an enclosure around a church. Some large cities, such as Liège, have more than 20 communities. The most beautiful communities can be found in Ghent and Bruges. Although rejected by the Church for some time, the beguinage was recognised as a "third order", an association of religious who did not take their vows. Over the course of the Middle Ages, the institution declined and virtually disappeared during the Renaissance.

The Bruges beguinage, known as the "Vineyard Beguinage", was established in 1225. A group of women settled on the edge of the city along a stream. To earn a living, they began working wool for Bruges weavers. At the time, thanks to its canals, Bruges was a major trading centre in Northern Europe. In 1245, the Countess of Flanders, Margaret of Constantinople, offered support and protection to the beguinage, which then became an independent parish. Over the following centuries, the beguinage grew and developed, becoming fully integrated into the city of Bruges. Now part of the city's heritage, the beguinage, which at the time welcomed the most destitute women, was only open to the highest ranks of the aristocracy. The beguinage declined but survived, although the French Revolution dealt a fatal blow to the institution, which never regained its former prestige.

In 2002, the Bruges beguinage was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For some fresh air and a breath of Belgian history, there's nothing like a visit to this pretty village inside the city. A real haven of peace, the beguinage is separated from the rest of Bruges by a wall and moat, and is surrounded by a large garden planted with daffodils (another heritage of north-west Europe), where you can see pretty houses of immaculate white contrasting with their red roofs. As you wander through this little piece of history, you'll discover a 15th-century church, as well as a small museum recounting the daily life of the beguines.