BRUGES 117

P Kruispoort

May–Aug (St-Janshuismolen) and

Jul–Aug (Koelwereimolen):
9:30am–12:30pm and 1:30–5pm
Tue–Sun. & http://www.museabrugge.be
Medieval Bruges was heavily
fortified. It was encircled by
a city wall that was itself
protected by a moat and
strengthened by a series of
massive gates. Most of the
wall was knocked down in
the 19th century, but the moat
and four of the city gates
(poorten) have survived. One
of these, the Kruispoort, is a
monumental structure, dating
from 1402, that guards the
city’s eastern app roach. The
earthen bank stretch ing north

P Schuttersgilde

St-Sebastiaan

Carmersstraat 174. Tel (050)

331626. 
        

        May–Sep: 10am–noon

        
        

        Tue–Thu, 2–5pm Sat; Oct–Apr: 2–
        5pm Tue–Thu and Sat. &
        The Longbow Archers’ Guild
        (Schuttersgilde) was one of
        the most powerful militia
        guilds. Its 16th- and 17th-
        century red-brick guild house
        now contains a small museum.
        The commercial life of
        medieval Bruges was dom-
        inated by the guilds, each of
        which represented the interests
        of a group of trades men,

        
        

E Museum Onze-Lieve-

Vrouw-ter-Potterie

Potterierei 79. Tel (050) 448731.

# 9:30am–noon and 1:30–5pm

Tue–Sun. & http://www.museabrugge.be

Located by the canal in one of

the quietest parts of Bruges,

the Museum Onze-Lieve-

Vrouw-ter-Potterie occupies

part of an old hospital that

was founded in 1276 to care

for elderly women. There is a

14th- and 15th-century cloister,

and some of the sick rooms

house a selection of intriguing

curios and a modest collec-

tion of paint ings, the best

of which are some 17th-

and 18th-century portraits

of leading aristocrats. The

hospital church is a warm,

intimate place, decorated with

a set of impres sive Baroque

altar pieces and a number of

fine stained-glass win dows.

The massive Kruispoort, one of the
original gates in Bruges’s city walls

The brick house and tower of the

influential Longbow Archers’ guild

crafts men or practitioners

of a specific skill. This guild

claimed the name of St

Sebastian, an early Christian

martyr who was sentenced by

the Roman Emperor Diocletian

to be executed by archers.

The bowmen followed their

orders, but the saint’s wounds

healed mira culously. He was

ultimately executed by club-

wielding assassins.

The guildhouse is notable

for its collec tion of portaits

of the guild’s leading lights.

This includes Charles II of

England who caroused here

during his exile. It also has a

tradi tional shooting gallery for

the still-active archery club.

GUIDO GEZELLE

One of Bruges’s favourite sons, Guido Gezelle (1830–99)

was a much-loved poet, priest and champion of the

Flemish language. He is most famous for poetry about

nature, which he acutely observed. On this basis, he pro-

duced poems that were filled with a sense of reli gious

wonder and subtly drawn spiritual lessons. At the age of

16, Gezelle had finished his schooling in Bruges and began

to study for the priesthood at Roeselare, 40 km (25 miles)

to the south. Here, he soon began pub-

lish ing his poetry. In 1853, Gezelle was

ordained in Bruges, where he developed

close friend ships with members of the

English community, many of whom

were Roman Catholics involved in

the restoration of the city. Gezelle

went on to become the deputy rec-

tor of the Anglo-Belgian Seminary in

Bruges, and later, the parish priest of

St-Walburgakerk. In 1872, he moved

to the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in

Kortrijk, where he would spend the

next 27 years. Through his enthusi-

astic and sometimes con troversial

promotion of the Dutch language

and Flemish dialects, he became

a leading figure in the Flemish

Movement (see p125). In 1899,

Gezelle became the Director of

the English Convent in Bruges,

but passed away shortly afterwards.

marks the old city wall, and

was once dot ted with 20

windmills although only four

stand here today. Bonne

Chieremolen, the first one

north of the Kruispoort, was

brought here from a Flanders

village in 1911. The second,

St-Janshuismolen, is from the

city. This res tored structure

was originally erected in 1770.

De Nieuwe Papegai, an oil

mill relo cated here in 1970,

is next, while the fourth, De

Koelweimolen, is an old flour

mill that arrived in the 1990s.

Statue of Guido Gezelle

in Bruges’s centre