The Brugse Vrije was a castellany in the county of Flanders , often called in English " the Franc of Bruges ". It included the area around Bruges , and was bordered by the North Sea , the Westerschelde and the Yser river. The city of Bruges was separated from the castellany in 1127. Since then the city and the Vrije were considered as separate customary law areas. The Brugse Vrije was a rich agricultural region. It had its own burgrave, who was seated at the Burg , a square in Bruges, and became part of the Four Members of Flanders at the end of the 14th century, together with the three major cities of Ghent , Bruges and Ypres . The Brugse Vrije sat in the meetings of the States of Flanders .
36-572: The castellany of Bruges was founded at around the year 1000 under the rule of Count Baldwin IV of Flanders (980–1035) as part of the county of Flanders . The head of the castellany was a burgrave , who represented the Count of Flanders . The burgrave was replaced by a bailiff in the 12th century. The fief was first called the Castellany of Bruges , but later took on the name Brugse Vrije . In Middle Ages it
72-657: A Jesuit institution. Confirmation of its authenticity came from a professor at the University of Nevada and one of the world's foremost authorities on Shakespeare, Eric Rasmussen, who happened to be in London at the time. The only other known copy of a First Folio in France is in the National Library in Paris. St. Omer was the host of the 2022 Canoe Polo world championships. Saint Omer
108-531: A colossal statue of Christ seated between the Virgin Mary and St John (13th century, originally belonging to the cathedral of Thérouanne and presented by the emperor Charles V ), the cenotaph of Saint Audomare (Omer) (13th century) and numerous ex-votos . The richly decorated chapel in the transept contains a wooden figure of the Virgin (12th century), the object of pilgrimages . Of St Bertin church, part of
144-590: Is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is 68 km (42 mi) west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais , and is located in the Artois province . The town is named after Saint Audomar , who brought Christianity to the area. The canalised section of the river Aa begins at Saint-Omer, reaching the North Sea at Gravelines in northern France. Below its walls,
180-467: Is exported throughout Europe. Other crops for which the area is known are carrots, endive, and watercress. At the end of the marshes, on the borders of the forest of Clairmarais, are the ruins of the abbey founded in 1140 by Thierry of Alsace . Thomas Becket sought refuge here in 1165. To the south of Saint-Omer, on a hill commanding the Aa, lies the camp of Helfaut , often called the camp of Saint-Omer. On
216-529: Is now part of the Lycée Alexandre Ribot . Besides the Lycée, there are schools of music and of art. The old episcopal palace adjoining the cathedral is used as a court-house. Saint-Omer is the seat of a court of assizes and tribunals, of a chamber of commerce, and of a board of trade arbitration. Until 1942, the chief statue in the town was that of Jacqueline Robin, who, according to the mythology, had helped
252-483: Is still playable. A collection of records, a picture gallery, and a theatre are all situated in the town hall , built of the materials from the abbey of St Bertin. Several houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Hôtel Colbert, once the royal lodging, is now occupied by an archaeological museum . The military hospital occupies the former English College , founded by the English Jesuits in 1593. It
288-532: The British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) arrived in Saint-Omer and a headquarters was established at the aerodrome next to the local race course. For the following four years, Saint-Omer was a focal point for all RFC operations in the field. Although most squadrons only used Saint-Omer as a transit camp before moving on to other locations, the base grew in importance as it increased its logistic support to
324-592: The Dukes of Burgundy having moved their residence to the newly built Prinsenhof (Bruges) [ nl ] . In 1434–1440 the Vrije added a tribunal to the southern side, facing towards Groenerei [ nl ] , a canal in Bruges. In 1520–1525, the complex was extended along the row with a new high tribunal, the aldermen's chamber and an entrance-hall. The architect was Jan van de Poele . A gallery with high arches
360-512: The French Revolution , soon sprang up between the two monasteries , becoming especially virulent when in 1559 St Omer became a bishopric and Notre-Dame was raised to the rank of cathedral. In the 9th century, the village that grew up round the monasteries took the name of St Omer. The Normans laid the place waste about 860 and 880. Ten years later the town and monastery had built fortified walls and were safe from their attack. Situated on
396-590: The Love in 1555, was rebuilt in 1722–1727 in the Neoclassical style after a design by Jan Verkruys . The now classified as heritage (1938) building still exists in this form and was used from 1795 to 1984 as a courthouse . Now the building on the Burg houses the city archives, with the reading room located in the chapel. Next to the old Court of Justice lies the renaissance hall. Located in this former aldermen's chamber of
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#1732854746981432-666: The Protestant Reformation , England had established penal laws against Roman Catholic education in the country. The college operated in St Omer until 1762, when it migrated to Bruges and then to Liège in 1773. It finally moved to England in 1794, settling at Stonyhurst , Lancashire . Former students of the College of Saint Omer include John Carroll , his brother Daniel and his cousin Charles . During World War I on 8 October 1914,
468-597: The Spanish Netherlands . The French made futile attempts against the town between 1551 and 1596. During the Thirty Years' War , the French attacked in 1638 (under Cardinal Richelieu ) and again in 1647. Finally in 1677, after a seventeen-day siege, Louis XIV forced the town to capitulate. The peace of Nijmegen signed in the fall of 1678 permanently confirmed the conquest and its annexation by France. In 1711, St-Omer
504-616: The Aa connects with the Neufossé Canal , which ends at the river Lys . Saint-Omer first appeared in the writings during the 7th century under the name of Sithiu (Sithieu or Sitdiu), around the Saint-Bertin abbey founded on the initiative of Audomar , (Odemaars or Omer). Omer, bishop of Thérouanne , in the 7th century established the Abbey of Saint Bertin , from which that of Notre-Dame was an offshoot. Rivalry and dissension, which lasted till
540-639: The Canal de Neufossé, near the town, is the Ascenseur des Fontinettes , a hydraulic lift which once raised and lowered canal boats to and from the Aa, over a height of 12m. This was replaced in 1967 by a large lock . During the Second World War , the area was chosen as a launch site for the V-2 rocket . The nearby blockhouse at Éperlecques and underground complex of La Coupole were built for this purpose and are open to
576-504: The County of Flanders was weakened. In 1214 Philip II of France captured Baldwin's daughter Joan and her husband Ferdinand, Count of Flanders and forced them to sign the Treaty of Pont-à-Vendin , in which Artois was yielded to France. Ferdinand did not take this lying down, and allied with Emperor Otto IV and John, King of England , he battled Philip II at Bouvines , but was defeated. Despite
612-591: The Frisian , who subsequently became the Count of Flanders until his death in 1093. Along with its textile industry, St-Omer flourished in the 12th and 13th century. In 1127 the town received a communal charter from the count, William Clito , becoming the first town in West Flanders with city rights . Later on the city lost its leading position in the textile industry to Bruges . After the mysterious death of Count Baldwin I ,
648-598: The RFC. Many Royal Air Force squadrons can trace their roots to formation at Saint-Omer during this period. Among which are No. IX Squadron RAF which was formed at Saint-Omer, 14 December 1914 and No. 16 Squadron RAF which was formed on 10 February 1915. During World War II, the Luftwaffe used the airfield. When the RAF 's legless Battle of Britain ace, Douglas Bader , parachuted from his Spitfire during an aerial battle over France, he
684-405: The abbey (built between 1326 and 1520 on the site of previous churches) where Childeric III retired to end his days, there remain some arches and a lofty tower, which serve to adorn a public garden. Several other churches or convent chapels are of interest, among them St Sepulchre (14th century), which has a stone spire and stained-glass windows. The cathedral has a huge Cavaillé-Coll organ, which
720-593: The borders of territories frequently disputed by French, Flemish , English and Spaniards , St Omer for most of its history continued to be subject to sieges and military invasions. In 932 Arnulf of Flanders conquered the County of Artois and Saint-Omer ( Sint-Omaars in Dutch) became part of the County of Flanders for the next three centuries. In 1071 Philip I and the teenage Count Arnulf III of Flanders were defeated at St Omer by Arnulf's uncle and former protector, Robert
756-517: The coastline of Flanders and the harbour and city of Brugge were enlarged. Baldwin first married Ogive, daughter of Frederick of Luxembourg , by whom he had a son and heir, Baldwin V (1012 – 1067). He later married Eleanor , daughter of Richard II of Normandy , by whom he had a daughter, Judith (1033 – 1094). Baldwin IV died on 30 May 1035. Saint-Omer Saint-Omer ( French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿omɛʁ] ; West Flemish : Sint-Omaars ; Picard : Saint-Onmé )
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#1732854746981792-407: The economy of Saint Omer had also developed in the wetlands outside the city, known locally as le marais , which remains one of the last cultivated marais in France. The Marais Audomarois is currently listed as a UNESCO heritage site. The agricultural output from this area continues year-round, thanks to the mild climate and fertile soil. Among the specialties, cauliflower is a notable product and
828-625: The library of the Abbey of Saint Bertin . The other two copies are in Paris . In November 2014, a previously unknown Shakespeare First Folio was found in a public library in Saint-Omer. The book had lain undisturbed in the library for 200 years. The first 30 pages were missing. A number of experts assisted in authenticating the folio, which also had a name, "Neville", written on the first surviving page, indicating that it may have once been owned by Edward Scarisbrick . Scarisbrick had fled England due to anti-Catholic repression and attended Saint-Omer College ,
864-411: The many cultural influences in the area, including British, Dutch, German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Polish. It is believed the region's mining and glass manufacturing industries contributed to a revived post-war (WWI and WWII era) population. The public library of Saint-Omer holds, in its rare books section, one of the three French copies of the 42-line Gutenberg Bible , originally from
900-470: The neighbouring town of Arques). The economy of Saint Omer has diversified over the course of the past 50 years. Aside from the glass works at Arc International, major employers in the area include: The creation of new enterprises has seen a steady growth in the past 10 years with 2 147 enterprises as of 2020. In the town itself, there are a number of retail shops and services, as well as a large selection of restaurants, brasseries and cafés. Historically,
936-576: The north of the county Baldwin was given Zeeland as a fief by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II , while on the right bank of the Scheldt river he received Valenciennes (1013) and parts of the Cambresis as well as Saint-Omer and the northern Ternois (1020). In his French territories, the supremacy of Baldwin remained unchallenged. A great deal of colonization of marshland was organized along
972-555: The old Palace of the Brugse Vrije, is the monumental 16th-century Emperor-Charles-fireplace, made of oak wood, alabaster and marble, designed by Lanceloot Blondeel . 51°12′30.16″N 3°13′39.25″E / 51.2083778°N 3.2275694°E / 51.2083778; 3.2275694 Baldwin IV of Flanders Baldwin IV (980 – 30 May 1035), called the Bearded , was the count of Flanders from 987 until his death. Baldwin IV
1008-616: The political separation for the next 170 years, the city remained part of the economic network of Flanders. In 1340 a large battle was fought in the town's suburbs between an Anglo-Flemish army and a French one under Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy , in which the Anglo-Flemish force was forced to withdraw. From 1384, St-Omer was part of the Burgundian Netherlands , from 1482 of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 to 1678 of
1044-611: The public. Saint-Omer is diverse in ethnic, linguistic and immigrant communities. Haut-Pont is a heavily West Flemish section of Saint-Omer which has Flemish/Belgian roots. In the Southeast of the cathedral is a newly formed Turkish neighborhood; the majority of the local Turks are members of the Christian faith (i.e. Greek Orthodox or of ethnic Greek origin, Eastern Rite and Catholic converts), who arrived in France after World War I to escape religious persecution. Genealogists have noted
1080-448: The town resist a siege by Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1711. However, the statue disappeared during the German occupation, taken to be melted down. Today, the remaining statues of people associated with the city: Over the better part of the last century, the economy of Saint Omer had depended largely on one enterprise, that of the glass maker Arc International (situated in
1116-412: The western side of the town, converted into a park known as the jardin public (public garden). There are two harbours outside the city and another within its limits. Saint-Omer has wide streets and spacious squares. The old cathedral was constructed almost entirely in the 13th, 14th and centuries. A heavy square tower finished in 1499 surmounts the west portal. The church contains Biblical paintings,
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1152-456: Was besieged by the Duke of Marlborough . With the town on the verge of surrendering because of famine , Jacqueline Robin risked her life to bring provisions into the town, in memory of which in 1884 a large statue of her was erected in front of the cathedral. The College of Saint Omer was established in 1593 by Fr Robert Persons SJ , an English Jesuit , to educate English Roman Catholics. After
1188-552: Was built on the Burg-side in 1528–1532. In 1606–1607, a chapel was added next to the aldermen's chamber and in 1664–1666 an orphan room , in which records of the castellany's orphans were kept. The still existing façades on the Groenerei side was built at this time. Lastly, the part of the manor that is visible on the Burg, and which was significantly enlarged by the purchase of
1224-448: Was divided into Amts . The governing body of the Brugse Vrije was located at the Burg , the square in Bruges where both the civil and ecclesiastical administration were located. Initially the Vrije was seated next to the Steen (castle of the count), on the west side of the Burg. In the 15th century, the Vrije moved to the other side, where it took over a portion of the count's former court,
1260-458: Was initially treated at a Luftwaffe hospital at Saint-Omer. He had lost an artificial leg when bailing out, and the RAF dropped him another one during a bombing raid. The fortifications (which had been improved by Vauban in the 17th century) were demolished during the last decade of the 19th century, and boulevards and new thoroughfares built in their place. A section of the ramparts remains intact on
1296-485: Was the son of Count Arnulf II of Flanders (c. 961 — 987) and Rozala of Italy (950/60 – 1003), of the House of Ivrea . He succeeded his father as Count of Flanders in 987, but with his mother Rozala as the regent until his majority. In contrast to his predecessors Baldwin turned his attention eastward, leaving the southern part of his territory in the hands of his vassals the counts of Guînes , Hesdin , and St. Pol . To
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