Wijngaardplein Bruges

On this square, the main gate of the Beguinage immediately attracts all attention, but also take a look at the Sashuis . This picturesque building regulated the water supply to the city center and thus also created the Minnewatermeer. The current Sashuis was built in the 16th century and replaced a 13th-century lock complex. The Sashuis has been out of use since the 1970s, but you can still spot the three dam holes.

The Wijngaardplein is also a staging point for the coachmen . There is a public pump that allows the coachmen to supply their horses with water.

The name 'Wijngaardplein': It is one of the established sayings about Bruges that the beguines developed their monastic community in a place where they grew grapes . However, the origin of the name is different. In Middle Dutch, wine means 'low, swampy meadow' and 'gaard' means a closed space, as in orchard. A 'vineyard' is therefore a lake or low meadow, enclosed by water or by a fence.

This is also the only place in the city center where the swans are fed . It is therefore logical that you count many swans here. There are two legends that explain why there are swans in Bruges:

The first legend of the swans in Bruges:

Emperor Maximilian of Austria was not a popular man. After the death of his wife in 1482, he developed a hatred for the city of Bruges and issued a law banning all festivities, including the annual fair and other important celebrations. He relied on his friend and advisor Pieter Lanchals, who had a swan in his family shield, to introduce heavy taxes to pay for the wars he waged as head of the Habsburg family. Known for their feisty and determined manners, the people of Bruges revolted. They started rioting in the city, burning houses and murdering supporters of Emperor Maximilian. This went on for over 6 years until the ruler revisited the city and both he and his advisor were captured in 1488. They were imprisoned in the Craenenburg House (which can still be visited on the main square) and tortured. Maximilian was forced to watch as his friend and confidant Lanchals, also known as Long Neck, was beheaded.

Legend has it that the emperor eventually escaped and took revenge on the local population. As a tribute to his friend, he forced them to keep 101 white swans (long necks) on the water of Bruges for eternity. If they didn't, Bruges would perish. Whether fact or fiction, the people of Bruges and the city have honored this curse ever since.

In the Church of Our Lady there is a chapel dedicated to Pieter Lanchals ...

The second legend of the swans:

A popular story about the Bruges swans is about captivity and confinement. The story goes that in the 13th century a merchant locked up his daughter because she refused to marry the man he had chosen for her. She was held captive in the basement of her house. Nevertheless, the damsel in distress was visited every day by two beautiful swans who kept her company. Once released from her prison, the young woman left a fortune and donated it to the city so that she could continue to care for the swans' offspring for as long as possible.

In reality , keeping swans was seen as a symbol of wealth and prestige, something Bruges possessed in abundance thanks to its trade. To further emphasize its prosperity, the City obtained the right to keep these beautiful mammals from the Count of Flanders. Since time immemorial, the City has paid a lot of attention to the care and preservation of its canals, and therefore also to the majestic swans. They ensure that the number of swans never drops below a hundred and have named the official Bruges Chocolate Brugsch Swaentje (?Brugse Zwaan?).

The Bruges swans have given the canals an elegant touch for centuries, but in 2014 a scandal broke out around these majestic longnecks. While traditionally all swans are white, a black swan appeared in the flock, seemingly out of nowhere. Local groups, conservationists and even regional newspapers were stunned; should they remove the black swan for fear of safety and disease, or should it remain peaceful? She became a local attraction with dozens of people looking for the strange swan. It reminded people of the legend of the Bruges swans. The locals have embraced this story and have even christened their black visitor "Burilda Lanchals" . The town tried unsuccessfully to capture the mammal, and she was found missing a little over a month after the attempt and is believed to have left peacefully.

Willem Vandenameele