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Hotel de Ville. BRUGES. 3. Route, 3@
(Pl. 3; B, 5), now completely modernized, the citizens of Bruges,
instigated by Ghent, kept the German King Maximilian (p. 26), the
‘last of the knights’, prisoner during eleven weeks in the year 1488.
The Pope threatened them with excommunication, and the Imperial
army was directed to march against the city (comp. p. 68), notwith-
standing which Maximilian was not liberated until he had solemnly
sworn to recognize the Council of the Regency of the Netherlands
convened at Malines by his father, the Emp. Frederick III.
w yards to the S. of the Halles, in the narrow Rue des Chartreuses
is the small Musée des Hospices Civils (Pl. B, 5; Museum der
1 Godshuizen), admission, see p. 24. The collection (in two rooms)
includes early-Flemish paintings, antique furniture, painted statuettes, en-
graved metal ca pottery, etc. Among the most interesting exhibits
(in the second room) are specimens of early Chinese porcelain; *€4. Relief
of the Madonna in painted ivory (end of the 13th cent.); altar-cross (15th
); fine carved casket, painted and gilded, of the 15th cent.; 87. Bugle-
horn (13th cent.).
From the 8.E. corner of the market-place the short Rue de la
Bride (Breydel-Straat) leads to the PLacz pu Boure (Pl. C, 5), the
name of which commemorates the castle (Grafenburg), which was the
earliest seat of the Dukes of Burgundy (p. 39) and was taken down
in 1434. To the right, in the middle of the S.W. side, rises the —
“Hotel de Ville or Stadhuis (Pl. 4; C, 5), an elegant Gothic struc-
ture, begun about 1376. The rear portion, towards the Reie, was
added in 1401-21, and the whole building was restored in 1854-71,
when new statues of Counts of Flanders were placed in the niches
between the windows, to replace those destroyed in 1792. The
Counts of Flanders, on their accession to the throne, used to show
themselves to the people from one of the windows, and swear to
maintain the privileges and laws of the city (p. 25). The interior
tored in 1895 in the original style and adorned with paintings.
ending visitors ap at the office of the mayor’s secretary (comp.
p. 24) in the Vest1BuULE I then ascend to the first floor, where the
Great Hatt (Grande Salle des Echevins) occupies almost the entire length
of the building. The Gothic roof of pendent wood-work dates from 4402-4,
The frescoes, by A. de endt, completed by Julius de Vriendt, represent
the Apostles of Flanders and eminent Brugeois and thirteen scenes from
the history of Bruges. Entrance-wall: Consecration of the new Zwyn Canal,
1404; Return of the Brugeois after the victory at Courtrai, 1802, End-wall
to the left: Foundation of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 1430 (p. 2717);
Theodoric of Alsace bringing the Holy Blood to the church of St. Basil,
1150 (p. 38). Window-wall: Feeding the poor in the Hospital of St. John;
Officials of Bruges renewing the rights of the Hanseatic League, 1360;
Count Philip of Alsace granting a charter to Bruges, 1190; Magistrates
Visiting t udio of Jan yan Eyck, 1433; Jan Brito, the printer, a native
of Bruges, 1446; Count Louis van Male laying the foundation stone of the
Hotel de Ville, 1376; Jacob van Maerlant (p. 43), the father of Flemish
poetry. End-wall to the right: Bruges Fair (‘La Foire Franche’); First
procession (‘Landjuweel’) in Bruges. The adjoining rooms contain a model
of the harbours of Zee-Bragge (p. 2) and a few pictures.
Adjoining the Hétel de Ville on the left is the *Matson pz L’An-
CIEN GREFFE Framanp (PI. 5; ©, 5), or old municipal record office,
Sy.
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