Brugse Vrije
| Liberty of Bruges | |
|---|---|
| Castellany of Flanders | |
| 1127–1795 | |
Map of the Liberty of Bruges, by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, published in 1664. | |
| Capital | Bruges |
| History | |
• Castellany of Bruges founded | c. 1000 |
• Separation of Bruges from its countryside | 1127 |
| 1579 | |
| 1795 | |
| Today part of | Netherlands Belgium |
The Liberty of Bruges (French: Franc de Bruges; Dutch: Brugse Vrije) was a castellany in the County of Flanders. It included the area around the city of Bruges itself, 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 Liberty 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, sitting at the meetings of the States of Flanders.