All About Royal Families

Although 2020 wasn't a splendid year for travellers due to the Covid-19  pandemic, we tried to make the best of it.  During the staycation we visited some lovely cities in our home country, Belgium with lots of history. Cities such as Ghent and Bruges.  The main square of the city of Bruges is without a doubt the Market Square in Dutch called "Markt". It is the heart of the historical city and has a surface of around 1 hectares.  At the south of the the square one of the main historical buildings of Bruges is located: the Belfry.  Some history The market of Bruges already attracted people in the 10th. century! Around 1200 the first international fair was held. Around 1220 the first Market Hall arose.  Since 1396 fish trade took place there. In 1709 an iron fish mine was erected.  In the 13th. century the Belfry of Bruges was built. This was typical for cities in Flanders. It was a symbol of freedom, wealth and urban power. On 7 January 1430, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgu

Hans Memling (sometimes referred as Memlinc) was born around 1430 in Selingenstadt near Frankfurt in the Middle Main region. Memling - Shine of St. Ursula - Own Picture Memling obtained his apprenticeship at Mains or Cologne. Later the painter moved to the Low Countries. There, Memling worked with Rogier van der Weyden in Brussels, Duchy of Brabant and at Bruges, County of Flanders. Memling -  Shrine of St. Ursula - Own picture In 1477, Memling was wounded at the Battle of Nancy. Afterwards the Hospitallers of Bruges took care about him. In 1479 and 1480 he painted this Hospitallers as a thank you. Memling - Shrine of St. Ursula - Own picture Memling worked for the Burgundian court and later for Archduke Maximilian of Austria (Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I). Memling died on August 11th. 1494 in Bruges.  Nowadays a lot of his work stays at the St. John Hospital in Bruges. Famous works like: Shrine of St. Ursula (see above), and the portrait of Siby