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In the history of the Low Countries
Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the country on low-lying land around the river delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse River rivers....
, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to the period when the dukes of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Sa?ne which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's West Franks....
 ruled the area, as well as Luxembourg and parts of northern France, from 1384 to 1530.

ir share (but not most) of these territories were inherited by the Burgundian dukes, a younger branch of the French royal house of Valois in 1384, upon the death of Louis de Mâle, count of Flanders
Count of Flanders

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French Revolution in 1790....
. His heiress, Margaret III of Flanders had married Philip the Bold
Philip the Bold

Philip the Bold can refer to:* Philip the Bold, also known as Philip II Duke of Burgundy * Philip III of France ...
 (1342–1404), youngest son of John II of France
John II of France

John II , called John the Good , was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy from 1332, Count of Poitiers from 1344, Duke of Aquitaine from 1345, and King of France from 1350 until his death, as well as Duke of Burgundy from 1361 to 1363....
 and the first of the Valois dukes of Burgundy, who thus inherited the counties of Flanders
Count of Flanders

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French Revolution in 1790....
, Artois
County of Artois

The County of Artois was a Carolingian lordship , established in Western Francia. In Ancient Rome times, Artois was situated in the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania Inferior and inhabited by Celts, until Germanic peoples replaced them as the Roman Empire waned....
, Rethel
Counts and dukes of Rethel

This is a list of counts and dukes of Rethel. The first counts of Rethel ruled independently, before the county passed first to the Count of Nevers, then to the Count of Flanders, and finally to the Duke of Burgundy....
, Burgundy, and Nevers.






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In the history of the Low Countries
Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the country on low-lying land around the river delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse River rivers....
, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to the period when the dukes of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Sa?ne which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's West Franks....
 ruled the area, as well as Luxembourg and parts of northern France, from 1384 to 1530.

Dynastic

A fair share (but not most) of these territories were inherited by the Burgundian dukes, a younger branch of the French royal house of Valois in 1384, upon the death of Louis de Mâle, count of Flanders
Count of Flanders

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French Revolution in 1790....
. His heiress, Margaret III of Flanders had married Philip the Bold
Philip the Bold

Philip the Bold can refer to:* Philip the Bold, also known as Philip II Duke of Burgundy * Philip III of France ...
 (1342–1404), youngest son of John II of France
John II of France

John II , called John the Good , was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy from 1332, Count of Poitiers from 1344, Duke of Aquitaine from 1345, and King of France from 1350 until his death, as well as Duke of Burgundy from 1361 to 1363....
 and the first of the Valois dukes of Burgundy, who thus inherited the counties of Flanders
Count of Flanders

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French Revolution in 1790....
, Artois
County of Artois

The County of Artois was a Carolingian lordship , established in Western Francia. In Ancient Rome times, Artois was situated in the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania Inferior and inhabited by Celts, until Germanic peoples replaced them as the Roman Empire waned....
, Rethel
Counts and dukes of Rethel

This is a list of counts and dukes of Rethel. The first counts of Rethel ruled independently, before the county passed first to the Count of Nevers, then to the Count of Flanders, and finally to the Duke of Burgundy....
, Burgundy, and Nevers. Together they initiated an era of Burgundian governance in the Low Countries.

The Burgundian territories were expanded with the county of Namur
Marquis of Namur

The following is a list of Marquisses or Margraves of Namur .Namur was not often an independent state, rather under the dominion of other entities like the counties of Count of Hainaut and County of Flanders or the Duchy of Burgundy....
 in 1421, the duchies of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant

The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of not only the three modern-day Belgium provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp as well as the Brussels-Capital Region, but also the present-day Netherlands province of North Brabant....
 and Limburg
Duchy of Limburg

The Duchy of Limburg was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of parts of the present Belgium provinces Li?ge and Limburg , the Netherlands province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany ....
 in 1430, the counties of Hainaut
County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgium province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French d?partement Nord ....
, Holland and Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
 in 1432, the duchy of Luxembourg
History of Luxembourg

The history of Luxembourg is inherently entwined with the histories of surrounding countries, peoples, and ruling dynasties. Over time, the territory of Luxembourg has been eroded, whilst its ownership has changed repeatedly, and its political independence has grown gradually....
 in 1441 and the duchy of Guelders
Guelders

Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy in the Low Countries.The duchy was named after the town of Geldern, which is now in Germany....
 in 1473.

The Valois era would last until 1477, when the last Valois duke Charles the Bold died on the battlefield, leaving no male heir. The territorial Duchy of Burgundy reverted to the French crown (see Salic Law
Salic law

Salic law was an important body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century....
), and the Low Countries portion of the Duchy of Burgundy passed to the Habsburgs through Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy

Mary, called Mary the Rich , was suo jure Duke of Burgundy from 1477 – 1482. As the only child of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, she was the heiress to the vast Burgundian domains in France and the Low Countries upon her father's death in the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477....
 and her husband Maximilian of Habsburg
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

Maximilian I of Habsburg was Holy Roman Empire from 1508 until his death, but had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his reign, from circa 1483....
 to their son Philip the Handsome (see Seventeen Provinces
Seventeen Provinces

The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of the West of Germany....
).

The Burgundian dukes who ruled the Netherlandish territories were:

House of Valois, territorial Dukes of Burgundy
  • Philip the Bold
    Philip the Bold

    Philip the Bold can refer to:* Philip the Bold, also known as Philip II Duke of Burgundy * Philip III of France ...
     and his wife Margaret III of Flanders (1384–1405)
  • John the Fearless (1405–1419)
  • Philip the Good (1419–1467)
  • Charles the Bold (1467–1477)


House of Valois, titular Duchess of Burgundy
  • Mary of Burgundy
    Mary of Burgundy

    Mary, called Mary the Rich , was suo jure Duke of Burgundy from 1477 – 1482. As the only child of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, she was the heiress to the vast Burgundian domains in France and the Low Countries upon her father's death in the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477....
     (1477–1482)


House of Habsburg, titular Dukes of Burgundy
  • Philip the Handsome (1482–1506); Maximilian I
    Maximilian I

    Maximilian I may refer to:*Maximilian of Mexico, reigned April 1864 to May 1867*Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1508 to 1519*Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria, reigned 1597 to September 1651...
    , regent (1482-1493)
  • Charles V
    Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
     (1506–1555); Margaret of Austria, regent (1507-1515) and (1519–1530)


Political

The sheer burden of variety of bishoprics and independent cities, the intensely local partisanship, the various taxation systems, weights and measures, internal customs barriers, fiercely defended local rights were a hindrance to a good Valois, but attempts at enlarging personal control by the dukes resulted in revolts among the independent towns, sometimes supported by independent local nobles, and bloody military suppression in response, and an increasingly modernized central government with a bureaucracy of clerks allowed the dukes to become celebrated art patrons and establish a glamorous court life that set conventions of behavior that lasted for centuries. Philip the Good (1419-1467) extended his personal control to the southeast bringing Brussels, Namur, and Liège under his control. He channeled the traditional independence of the cities through such mechanisms as the first Estates-General, and he consolidated the region's economy.

The Estates-General met for the first time in the City Hall of Bruges
Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
 on 9 January 1464. It consisted of delegates of the Estates of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant

The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of not only the three modern-day Belgium provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp as well as the Brussels-Capital Region, but also the present-day Netherlands province of North Brabant....
, Flanders
County of Flanders

The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries.It consisted not only of the two actual Belgium provinces of East-Flanders and West-Flanders but also much of the present-day France d?partement of the Nord , in parts of which there is still a minority speaking the French Flemish dialect of Dutch language, and the sout...
, Lille
Lille

Lille is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Urban Community of Lille M?tropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille....
, Douai
Douai

Douai is a Communes of France in the Nord Departments of France in northern France.It is a Subprefectures in France of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some 40 km from Lille and 25 km from Arras, Douai is home to one of the region's most impressive belfry ....
, Orchies
Orchies

Orchies is a Communes of France in the Nord Departments of France in northern France.Orchies is the biggest town of the P?v?le. It is especially known for its Mus?e de la chicor?e, the museum of chicory....
, Artois
County of Artois

The County of Artois was a Carolingian lordship , established in Western Francia. In Ancient Rome times, Artois was situated in the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania Inferior and inhabited by Celts, until Germanic peoples replaced them as the Roman Empire waned....
, Hainaut
County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgium province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French d?partement Nord ....
, Holland
Holland

Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
, Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
, Namur, Mechelen
Mechelen

Mechelen is a Dutch-speaking city and municipality in the province of Antwerp , Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel and Battel , as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen....
 and Boulonnais
Boulonnais (land area)

The Boulonnais is a coastal area of France, around Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. It has a curved belt of chalk downs which run into the sea at both ends, and geologically is the east end of the Weald-Artois Anticline....
. Up to 1464, the Duke only maintained ties with each of the provincial States separately. In principle, the provincial Estates were composed of representatives of the three traditional estates
Estates of the realm

The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners recognized in the Middle Ages and later in some parts of Europe....
: clergy
Clergy

Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from the Greek language ?????? - kleros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "heritage"....
, nobility
Nobility

Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary or for a lifetime. Titles of nobility exist today in many countries although it is usually associated with present or former monarchies....
 and the Third Estate, but the exact composition of and the influence of each estate in the provincial Estates could differ. Convening an Estates-General in which all provincial Estates were represented was part of Philip the Good's policy of centralisation.

Ducal patronage

From 1441, Philip based his ducal court in Brussels, but Bruges
Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
 was the center of commerce, though by the 1480s the inevitable silting of its harbor was bringing its economic hegemony to a close. Philip was a great patron of illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript

An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the Writing is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and Miniature ....
s and court painting reached new highs: Robert Campin
Robert Campin

Robert Campin , now usually identified with the artist known as the Master of Fl?malle, is usually considered the first great master of Early Netherlandish painting....
, the van Eyck
Van Eyck

Van Eyck , also Van Eijk is a Dutch language surname meaning "of Eyck" or "of Eijk" . Several important families and persons had this surname:...
 brothers, and Rogier van der Weyden

Social and economic


External links

  • "Burgundian Netherlands: Court Life
  • "Burgundian Netherlands: Private Life