The Yser and the Belgian Coast: An Illustrated History and Guide

BRUGES. BRUGES. Origin and Chief Historical Events. A burgh and a fortified bridge (whence the name of "Bruges" ("Brugge")) on the Reye, a brook since absorbed by the canals,—such was the origin of the town. In the 9th century Baudouin-Bras-de-fer, first count of Flanders and vassal of the French King replaced the original establishment with a fortified castle, around which, in spite of civil discords, quarrels between the rulers and their turbulent subjects, dissensions between the vassal and his suzerain, and rebellions by those two powerful Flemish communes —Ghent and Bruges—the town grew and prospered. These troubles were marked by sanguinary episodes, chief among which were the "Bruges Matins" (1302) in which thousands of the "Gens du Lys" (Leliaerts) partisans of France, lost their lives, and shortly afterwards the famous "Battle of the Golden Spurs", in which the flower of France's chivalry, lured into the Groeninghe Marshes, was annihilated by the Flemish pikemen (clauwaerts) led by Breydel the butcher, and Coninck the draper. The era which followed this crisis was one of great prosperity for Bruges, then a vast emporium of European trade, being in close relation with London, Genoa, Venice, Augsburg and the Hanseatic towns. Wealth abounded. The rich foreign merchants built sumptuous mansions, several of which still exist. Bruges attained the height of its prosperity in the 15th century, under Burgundian rule. Favoured by the long reign of Philippe-le-Bon, "the Great Duke of the West", the arts, today the glory of the old city, flourished exceedingly. Decadence set in, chiefly owing to the retreating of the sea and the gradual filling up of the creeks and harbours with sand. Trade steadily declined, whilst in the 16th century, political and religious troubles hastened the downfall of the city. The population of 200,000 dwindled away to 50,000, and at last the place came to be known as "Bruges-la-Morte". Bruges. The Governor of Flanders and the Burgomaster of the City welcoming King Albert, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Leopold in the Grand'Place. Under the Republic and the Empire, the city, under French domination, became the capital of the Department of the Lys, and later, under Dutch rule (1815-1830), of Western Flanders. When, later, the kingdom of Belgium was constituted, it retained this rank. Since that time, Bruges with her melancholic chimes has remained a quiet old-world place, the delight of lovers of art, who each year come to admire her treasures, amid the charm of quaintly picturesque scenery. The boundaries of the city have remained unchanged since the time when Bruge's prosperity was at its height. The area of the town being the same as in the 14th century, it follows that the present-day population of 50,000—all that remains of the former 200,000 inhabitants—has plenty of elbow-room. However, the numerous open spaces and gardens in no way detract from the æsthetic appearance of the place. In shape an oval, stretching from the south-west to the north-east, the town is surrounded by ramparts and a wide exterior moat, except on the north (between the Gates of Ostend and Damme) where they were demolished at the beginning of the present century, in order to connect up directly with the new ship canal. Parts of the ramparts have been transformed into boulevards, promenades and gardens. Of the numerous windmills which used to form a picturesque girdle round the city, only two, situated near the Sainte-Croix Gate, remain. At the beginning of the present century, when the ship-canal from Bruges to Zeebrugge was opened, the "dead" city made an effort to revive her ancient prosperity, but the irony of fate willed that the new port should mainly serve the German invader. On October 13, 1914, amid the confusion which followed the fall of Antwerp, and whilst the remains of the Belgian Army were falling back on the Yser, the Germans entered Bruges, and there established the reign of terror under which Belgium suffered for four long years. Happily, Bruges, like Ghent and Brussels, came out of the War practically unscathed. King Albert and Queen Elizabeth leaving the Hôtel Provincial (October 25, 1918.) From October 14, 1914 to October 19, 1918, Bruges was occupied by the Germans, with Admiral von Schroeder as Military Governor. Requisitions to the amount of some sixty millions of francs were levied; the factories were emptied of their machinery, and the warehouses of their raw materials. The bombardments did little damage. The maritime quarter, in which were the Imperial workshops, alone received a number of aeroplane bombs. It was in this strictly guarded arsenal that the Germans assembled and repaired their submarines. Armour-protected shelters and concrete-covered docks for the submarines not on active service, provided security for the enemy's intense activities. Immense reservoirs of crude oil furnished the boats with fuel. Before leaving, the Germans destroyed these works. The floating-docks, drags, cranes, and port machinery, etc., belonging to Belgium, were wrecked. Sunken hulls blocked up the channels. Huge quantities of stores, including girders, reinforced concrete, sand, etc., were left behind on the wharves. After stripping the place of everything that could be carried off, after attempting to sell several captured boats which had been brought in there, and after blowing up the bridges, the enemy left the town. Through some mysterious and powerful intervention, the chimes in the belfry were left untouched, and as the Germans hurriedly departed, a peal rang out joyously. Flags and banners were taken from their hiding-places and hung in the streets and squares. "Bruges-the-dead" became "Bruges-the-living-and joyful". On October 25, 1918, amid indescribable enthusiasm, and to the strains of "La Brabançonne" and "La Marseillaise", rung out on the old belfry chimes, King Albert, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Leopold, accompanied by the General Staff, General Degoutte and Admiral Ronarc'h, re-entered the liberated city. BRUGES Third Day. A VISIT TO BRUGES. See Coloured Plan between pp. 88 -89. To facilitate visiting the city, two excursions are indicated, both of which start from and return to the Grand'Place. In Belgium, the churches are generally closed from noon to 2 p.m. The chapels, in which the works of art are kept, can be visited at specified hours, for a small fee. The same applies to the Hôtel-de-Ville. Before starting to visit Bruges, obtain particulars from the Bureau Officiel de Renseignements, Grand'Place, underneath the Belfry (3 minutes from the station). FIRST EXCURSION. The Grand'Place. The Grand'Place or Grand Marché is in the centre of the city. The "Halles" occupy the south side, and the Hôtel du Gouvernement Provincial and General Post Office the western side. On the northern side is a row of remarkable gabled houses (photo below) , while to the east, at the corner of the Rue St. Amand, stands the Hôtel Bouchoute which, in 1839, was surmounted with a metal ball indicating the meridian line. In the centre is a monument by the sculptor Paul de Vigne, erected in 1887 to the memory of the famous communists Breydel and de Coninck. Bruges. Ancient houses in the Grand'Place. General View of Bruges, seen from the top of the Belfry. A. Ostend; B. Church of St. Jacques; C. Blankenberghe; D. The Theatre; E. Water-Works of Zeebrugge; F. Zeebrugge Canal; G. Port of Bruges; H. Heyst; I. Duinbergen; J. Church of St. Gilles; K. Knocke. The Halles and Belfry. The Belfry. In front: The Statue to Breydel and Coninck. It is this edifice—an eloquent witness of the city's past grandeur and symbol of the ancient prosperity of the "Queen of the West"—which characterises Bruges. The building measures 270 feet in length by 110 feet in width. The low galleries with groined vaulting on the ground-floor, contain an archæological museum, whilst those on the first floor are used for exhibition purposes. The Belfry, in the centre of the façade, is 264 feet high, and comprises two massive, square, superimposed towers, decorated with pinnacles connected by a balustrade. Above rises a third octagonal tower supported by flying buttresses. This last story, which contains the famous peal of bells, was added towards the end of the 15th century. It was surmounted, first with a spire, and later, after the spire was burnt, with a triple campanile, destroyed by lightning in 1741. A balustrade now crowns the tower. The Renaissance statue of the Virgin, on a stem-like ornament over the main doorway (1819), replaced the original one which was broken during the Revolution (1793). Above is a bretèche , from which public announcements were made. The Cathedral of St. Saviour Rue du Beffroi. The "Halles" date from the 12th century, but were enlarged in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Pass under the vaulted entrance, to the staircase which leads to the upper stories and tower. A spiral stair of 403 steps leads to the upper platform, which commands a very extensive and impressive view; on the one side, the littoral, with its watering-places and ports, stretching as far as Flushing; on the other side, the Flemish plain, with its towns, burghs, and villages. To the chequered history of this region, a new and far more tragical page has just been added. The visit to the tower comprises: the first story, in which is the "Big Ben" dating from 1680, and weighing nearly six tons; it was taken from Notre-Dame Church and placed there in 1800; the watchmen's room, and lastly the belfry proper, containing a peal of forty-six bells, cast in 1743, and rung either by a cylinder or a key-board. During the German occupation the bells remained dumb. The Hôtel du Gouvernement provincial. The Hôtel du Gouvernement Provincial. This edifice was rebuilt in rich 16th century style (Gothic and Renaissance combined) after the fire which destroyed the original building in 1878. It stands on the site of the old "Water Halle" which was skirted by a canal, now covered in. The German invasion interrupted the completion of the right wing, at the corner of the Rue Philipstock. Excavations carried out on this site laid bare the old pillars of the "Water Halle". Leave the Grand'Place by Rue de la Bride, at the corner of which is the Hôtel des Postes (Post Office). The tourist next reaches the Place du Bourg, in which are: on the left, the Prévôté ; on the right, the Hôtel-de-Ville , between the Chapel of St. Sang and the Greffe . The Prévôté. The Prévôté, formerly the residence of the Provosts of the Chapter of St. Donatian, was built in 1664. Its Renaissance façade has been partially restored. On the terre-plein planted with fine trees, which adjoins it, stood the ancient Cathedral of St. Donatian, pulled down in 1790. Charles-le-Bon, Count of Flanders, was assassinated there in 1127. The Hôtel-de-Ville. This beautiful Gothic structure is ornamented with six storied corbel-turrets, covered with niches and small statues of the Counts of Flanders (1376-1389). The Hôtel-de-Ville, separated from the "Greffe" (on the left) by the entrance to the narrow street of the "Ane aveugle" . Badly disfigured during the Revolution, the building was inartistically restored in 1854, as witness the small replace statues. The dependencies facing the narrow street "Ane Aveugle", the canal, and the rear of the Chapel of St. Sang, were either rebuilt or restored in modern times. On the ground-floor are a large hall, the Council Chamber, and the Burgomaster's office. The staircase leads to the Salle des Echevins , which occupies practically the whole length of the story. It was decorated quite recently by A. de Vriendt with frescoes illustrating episodes from the history of Bruges. Its magnificent Gothic vaulting is ornamented with pendent wood-work. The Chapel of Saint-Sang. The Chapel of Saint-Sang. Adjoining the Hôtel-de-Ville, on the right, is the Chapel of Saint-Sang (Holy-Blood), (photos opposite and on p. 9 ) . This famous name was given to two superimposed sanctuaries. The lower one (12th century) with short massive pillars, was dedicated to St. Basil. In the upper one (15th century), is kept the shrine of the Holy Blood, brought from Palestine, according to tradition, by Count Thierry d'Alsace, in 1148. This was the starting-point of the famous procession which, before the German invasion, used to attract large numbers of people to Bruges each year, and was in fact a public festival. Inaugurated in 1303, it takes place on the first Monday following May 3. The Chapel of St. Sang. The Shrine of St. Sang. The pretty, Flamboyant, two-storied building of blue stone, containing the staircase which leads to the upper chapel, dates from 1530. The chapel is in striking contrast with the massive "crypt" of St. Basil. The stained-glass windows, representing the Dukes of Burgundy, are practically copies of the magnificent windows formerly sold by the City Authorities to a local secondhand dealer for 14 francs each, and which now adorn an English mansion. The shrine of St. Sang was made in 1614-1617 by Jean Crabbe, the Bruges goldsmith, to replace the one destroyed in 1578. It is a very fine piece of Renaissance workmanship in different metals studded with gems (Photo opposite) . The "Greffe". Built in 1535-1537, the pretty façade was restored, re-gilded and adorned with statues in 1881-1884 (Photo, p. 93 ) . The Palais-de-Justice and Palais-du-Franc. The chief interest of the Palais-de-Justice lies in the ancient Chambre Echevinale which contains the famous mantelpiece so often reproduced pictorially, although no image can give an adequate idea of its richness and splendour (Photo above) . In this "poem of carved wood", the great artist, Lancelot Blondeel, expressed with wonderful power and wealth of detail the apotheosis of Charles-Quint. The imperial effigy, forming a central motif , stands out boldly in relief. The other life-size figures which surmount the panels to the right and left represent: on one side , Maximilian of Austria and Marie of Burgundy; on the other side , Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, ancestors of the Emperor. The mantelpiece proper is in black marble with a frieze of alabaster representing, in bas-relief, the story of Susannah. This masterpiece was conceived by Blondeel and executed by Guyot de Beaugrant. Mantelpiece in the Palais-de-Justice. Ruelle de l'Ane Aveugle. Leave Place du Bourg by the narrow street "Ane Aveugle", which, passing under an arcade, runs between the "Greffe" and the Hôtel-de-Ville, coming out at the "Marché-aux-Poissons" (Fish-Market). Immediately on the left is seen the charming vista of the "Quai des Marbriers" and "Quai Vert", one of the most deservedly renowned places in Bruges. That part of the "Palais du Franc" which was rebuilt in the 16th century overlooks the canal, with its long row of gables and graceful turrets (restored in 1880, by P. Buyck). Panorama Seen from the Quai du Rosaire. On the left: Church of Notre-Dame and Bridge of St. Jean de Népomucène. On the right: The Belfry. The Palais-de-Justice and Palais-du-Franc. Seen from the Quai des Marbriers. The Quai du Rosaire. See plan between pp. 88 and 89 . Beyond the canal, turn to the right and cross the Placette des Tanneurs leading to the charming Quai du Rosaire and Le Dyver . The Quai du Dyver widens, and is planted with fine old trees. Opposite, picturesque buildings, nestling amidst foliage, are reflected in the still water. The lofty spire of Notre-Dame dominates all the surrounding country. The Rue Neuve Bridge is next reached ; there the canal (formerly the river Reye), makes a sharp bend and disappears under the building facing the bridge. (Beyond the latter, take the Rue Gruuthuuse as far as a new group of remarkable buildings: Notre-Dame Church , Hôtel Gruuthuuse and St. John's Hospital ). The Hôtel Gruuthuuse. This pretty structure, situated with Notre-Dame Church in a bend of the Reye, was formerly the house of the malt tax-collector. It was leased in the 15th century to a certain Grutarius who erected that part of the building overlooking the Reye, a fine primitive Bruges style gable of which still remains. The main part of the building, with its façade, beautiful dormer windows, and a turretted staircase, was erected some fifty years later by Louis de Gruuthuuse. The house had just been completed when, in 1471, Gruuthuuse received King Edward IV of England, who had been driven into exile by Warwick. At the end of the following century, the family having become extinct, the mansion was purchased by Philippe II. In 1628, the municipal mont-de-piété was installed there, where it remained until 1875, in which year the city acquired the premises to house the collections of the Archæological Museum. The mansion has been thoroughly restored in modern times. Hôtel Gruuthuuse and North Transept of Notre-Dame Church. Church of Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame Church. The lofty spire of Notre-Dame Church dominates the surrounding country. Its reflection is seen in the calm waters of the "Minnewater" with that of St. Saviour's (on the left) and the Belfry (on the right) . Notre-Dame Church. The Nave. The church of Notre-Dame with its enormous buttressed tower surmounted by a crocketted spire, is 400 feet high and with its satellites, St. Saviour and the Belfry, dominates the entire city and surroundings. It is said to be the largest brick construction in existence. The church is a strange mixture of restorations, additions and alterations, which have changed its character and destroyed its harmony. The general style is early Gothic, and reveals its 13th century origin. Two side-aisles were added to the three original naves, the first about the middle of the 14th century, and the second a century later. The façade nearest the hospital, flanked with round turrets, was badly mutilated. Recent attempts have been made to restore it, and at the same time to suppress certain unbecoming, extraneous masonry-work, but through lack of documents, the work was necessarily carried out in a more or less hypothetical manner. At the foot of the gigantic tower and in striking contrast with its severe nudity is the Radial Gothic Baptistère , an ancient protruding porch dating from the 15th century, the double arcade of which was walled up to form a chapel for the font. The Virgin and Child. By Michael Angelo. In the interior one is struck, on entering, by the work of simple juxtaposition which added a side-aisle to the original one, by opening the arcades in the old wall and setting new pillars against the ancient buttresses. The whole of the interior bears marks of similar treatment. The vaulting of the naves was reconstructed in the 18th century, when the present heavy triforium was built. The small arcades which ornamented the walls were filled in, but portions have recently been uncovered and restored. The building is 237 feet long and 165 feet wide. An 18th century rood-loft surmounted with an organ-case separates the nave from the choir. Above the organ a triumphal cross (1594) is suspended from the vaulting. The choir stalls, like the cathedral, bear the arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, in commemoration of the 11th. Chapter held in Notre-Dame in 1468. The principal interest of the church lies in the works of art which it contains: The Virgin and Child by Michael Angelo, and the Tombs of the last two Sovereigns of the House of Burgundy: Charles-le-Téméraire and his daughter Marie, wife of Maximilian of Austria , whose mausoleum at Innsbruck, is likewise a marvel. Tomb of Charles-le-Téméraire. The Virgin and Child (on the altar of the Holy Sacrament, at the end of the right nave), was the gift of Jean Mouscroen, the donor of the altar, who paid a hundred ducats for it to the great sculptor in 1514. Its origin, which was long disputed, is now definitely established (Photo, p. 100 ) . The tombs of Charles-le-Téméraire and Marie of Burgundy, originally placed in the choir where they worthily contributed to the decoration of the sanctuary, were later removed to a closed chapel on the right, formerly the old Chanterie —reconstituted in 1812 of the écoutète Pierre Lanchals, who was tortured and beheaded in 1488 by the city burghers. His tombstone is still to be seen there, but it is the Burgundian tombs which retain the visitor's attention. Reproductions of the latter abound, and several European museums (among others, Cluny, Paris) possess plaster facsimiles. That of Marie is sixty years earlier than her father's, and is greatly superior both in style and execution. It is the work of Pierre Beckee of Brussels; the other is by Junghelinck, a native of Antwerp. The sarcophagi are in black marble with recumbent life-size statues of gilded copper; on the sides are the enamelled armorial bearings of the numerous domains belonging to the House of Burgundy. Philippe-le-Beau dedicated this mausoleum to his mother, who died at the age of 25 in consequence of a fall from her horse. Later, the remains of Charles-le-Téméraire, killed at Nancy, having been taken to Bruges, Philippe II had a tomb built for them on the lines of the first one. At the time of the Revolution the tombs were taken to pieces and hidden; the parts were reassembled in 1816, thanks to a subsidy of 10,000 francs granted by Napoleon. The church contains many 17th and 18th century pictures, several remarkable works dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, paintings, panels and polyptics, among others an Adoration of the Shepherds by P. Pourbus, a triptych (first chapel on the left of the Ambulatory), and a Transfiguration triptych, the central panel of which is attributed to Mistaert (first chapel on the south side-aisle). Claeyssens, Van Orley, Marc Gheeraerts, Gérard Zeghers (Adoration of the Wise Men (western wall)) etc.... are likewise represented. In the Ambulatory, on the left-hand side, is the Gruuthuuse tribune of carved stone and wood, which used to communicate with the neighbouring house and was built by Louis de Gruuthuuse in 1472. Several other tombs are worthy of note, among others, that of Gérard David , the famous painter of The Unjust Judge ; deceased in 1523, he was buried near the tower staircase. The Sacristy contains some fine 16th century sacerdotal ornaments named after Marie of Burgundy. The Cathedral of St. Saviour. Cathedral of St. Saviour. This church, with its massive tower, rises abruptly on the left. The cemetery which formerly surrounded it has been transformed into a public garden surrounded with railings and heavy modern pilasters. The church was built in 1183-1228 in the fine primitive Gothic style of the period, on the site of an ancient sanctuary which was destroyed by fire. Vestiges of its stone foundations are still visible in the tower. The building was frequently modified in the course of time, hence an ensemble , in which figure the various periods of the Gothic style: parts of the transept and the choir, 13th century; the naves, 14th century; the chevet and apsidal chapels, 15th and 16th centuries; the vaulting, rebuilt in 1732; the four pinnacled spires of the tower, completed in 1875. The principal measurements are as follows:—length: 330 feet; width: 126 feet; width at the transept: 176 feet; height: 96 feet. Like Notre-Dame (see p. 99 ) , St. Saviour's is a typical specimen of the Flemish churches, as regards its rich furnishings, decoration and ornaments which form a veritable collection of works of art. Access is gained through two side doorways. Polychrome decoration (1874-1875 by J. Bethune) replaced the previous distemper on the walls, pillars and ribs of the vaulting, itself believed to hide a former decoration of which no traces remain. A marble rood-loft of the 17th century decorated with a statue of the The Creator by Quellin the Younger, and surmounted by an organ-case, separates the nave from the choir. The latter contains curiously carved 15th century choir-stalls, above which are the armorial bearings of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, a famous order founded by Philippe-le-Bon in 1429, and whose 13th chapter was held in the cathedral in 1478. The numerous paintings by local artists include: The Martyrdom of St. Hippolytus , a polyptych (veiled), attributed to Dierick Boute, in the third chapel of the ambulatory. On the left of the transept, in the Chapelle des Cordonniers is the Tombstone of Burgher Wautier Copman (1387), with its wonderful, shrouded figure—the finest tombstone that the 14th century has left us. Opposite is another fine stone , though inferior in style, i.e. that of Martin de Visch (1453). Various tablets of brass and bronze in relief, carved wood altar-pieces, tombs of bishops, the shrine of Charles-le-Bon, etc ..., besides the art treasures in the Salle des Marguilliers and sacristy, are worthy of note. The St. John Hospital. The broad gateway of this building, with its low vaulting, opens out in front of Notre-Dame, from which it is separated by Rue St. Catherine. A little further on, the old entrance, now walled-up, has retained its small corner columns and double tympanum, the latter containing a rare specimen of 13th century decorative art, i.e. two high reliefs depicting: The Death of the Virgin and The Burial Scene . Unfortunately, the entrance has been entirely restored in such a manner as to take away much of the interest which attached to the mutilated structure. Rue St. Catherine, River Reye, and Hôpital St. Jean. Here the Rue St. Catherine crosses the Reye, in whose waters are reflected the gloomy walls, pierced with high windows, and the stepped gables of the hospital, forming one of the most striking sights of old Bruges (Photo above) . The building dates from the 13th century and contains a number of antiques together with the names of the donors. Behind the remarkable old building facing the street, a new hospital was built in 1856 on the site of the cemetery; fortunately, the uninteresting appearance of these modern constructions is hidden by the old buildings. The hospital includes a small museum, in which are kept the famous works of Hans Memling, classified under the following names: The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine (large folding altar-piece), The Adoration of the Child Jesus (triptych with oak panels), Sibylle Sambetha (portrait of Mary Moreel, from the Hospital of St. Julien), The Virgin with Apple (a diptych of the same origin), and lastly, the famous Shrine of St. Ursula , made of wood, with double gables, about 34 inches high, 36 inches long, and 13 inches wide, bearing on its sides, framed with archings and separated by small columns, representations of the six episodes from the Legend of St. Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins. (Photo p. 104 .) St. Ursula's Shrine. The two panels of the gables represent the Saint and the Madonna respectively; 6 medallions, attributed to a pupil of Memling, decorate the roof. The six side panels represent the episodes of the legend: 1, St. Ursula landing at Cologne ; 2, Passing through Basle ; 3, Reception in Rome (the masterpiece of the series); 4, Return to Basle ; 5, The Massacre of the Virgins at Cologne ; 6, Death of St. Ursula (Photo opposite) . About sixty pictures of great value complete the Hospital Museum, together with a number of relics and pieces of carving. Most of them are by unknown masters. Among others, the masterpiece by Van Oost the Elder, the Meditating Christian , is especially worthy of notice. The hospital contains other curiosities, such as the Chapel, the Dispensary with its ancient furniture and fittings, and the old patients' ward with its double vaulted nave. The Béguinage Convent and the Minnewater Follow Rue St. Catherine (continuation of Rue Notre-Dame, beyond the Hospital), then take Rue de la Vigne (third on the right) leading to Place de la Vigne. Immediately on the right, behind the Béguinage Bridge over the Reye, at the end of Minnewater Lock, is the Renaissance porch (1776) of the entrance to the Béguinage Convent (photo, p. 105 and sketch below) . A grassy courtyard shaded with slender elms and bordered by low white cottages, neat and clean like those of a Dutch village, breathes monastic calm and peace. The tiny church, dating from the beginning of the 17th century, was built on the site of the 13th century edifice (destroyed by fire). The Béguinage was founded by Countess Jeanne of Constantinople. The northern door is the only remaining vestige of the former building. In the interior are several paintings and tombs of Nuns ("Béguines"). Adjoining the house of the Supérieure (Grande Dame), is a 15th century chapel containing a carved tabernacle, a brass tablet with a 16th century effigy, and painted vaulting. On the right, at the other side of the bridge is the Minnewater (Photo, p. 105 and sketch opposite). The Minnewater was formerly a navigable basin constructed at the point where the Reye enters the city. The original wooden bridge, flanked with two towers of masonry, was replaced in 1470 by the present structure. The eastern tower no longer exists, but the round western one still stands at the head of the bridge, and commands a charming view—often reproduced pictorially—of the town, with its towers and the Béguinage Convent in the foreground.

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