Kruispoort

The area near the Kruispoort was a place where many executions took place. On Saturday, May 9, 1523, the Persian Francis Tercianus was bound with iron chains to a wooden pole on top of a pyre just outside the gate. A few minutes later, the smoke and flames put an end to his life. His crime? Sodomy. At that time, it was a broad term that encompassed all forms of "unnatural" sex. It usually referred to homosexuality. The term comes from the Biblical story about Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19. In Genesis 19 verse 5, the men of Sodom call out to Lot about the men who are visiting him: "Where are those men who came to stay with you? (...) we want to take them!”

The execution site was no accident; it was chosen outside this gate as it had to serve as a warning for newcomers. Bruges had the reputation of being the 'Sodom of the North'. Between 1400 and 1700, 179 individuals were accused of 'unnatural' sexual acts in Bruges. No less than 113 (60%) were sentenced to death. This was the highest prosecution rate of the major cities in Europe.

Dromos