First published 1992 by Longman Group Limited.
Cradle of northern Europe's later urban and industrial pre-eminence, medieval Flanders was a region of immense political and economic importance - and already, as so often later, the battleground of foreign powers. Yet this book is, remarkably, the first comprehensive modern history of the region. Within the framework of a clear political narrative, it presents a vivid portrait of medieval Flemish life that will be essential reading for the medievalist - and a boon for the many visitors to Bruges and Ghent eager for a better understanding of what they see.
Author(s): David Nicholas
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: XIV+464
List of genealogical tables and maps viii
Abbreviations ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiv
1. The Sand that is upon the Seashore 1
Flanders under Roman rule 1
Germanic Flanders, fourth through eighth centuries 7
The formation of the county of Flanders, 600-918 13
2. The Economic Development of Early Flanders 21
Forest, field and village in early medieval Flanders 21
Trade and Towns 29
3. The Counts and the County, 918-1071 39
Arnulf the Great (918-65) 39
Arnulf II (965-88) 43
Baldwin IV (988-1035) 45
Baldwin V (1035-67) 49
4. The Apogee of Flemish Power, 1071-1206 56
Robert I 'the Frisian' (1071-93) 56
Robert II 'of Jerusalem' (1093-1111) 58
Baldwin VII (1111-19) 58
The crisis of 1127-8 62
Flanders under the Alsatian Counts (1128-91):
Thierry of Alsace (1128-57/67) 70
Philip of Alsace (1157/67-91) 71
Baldwin VIII (1191-4) 74
Baldwin IX (1194-1206) 75
The government of Flanders in the twelfth century: the transition to the administrative state 77
Flemish culture before 1206 89
5. The Social and Economic Transformation of Flanders in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries 97
The agrarian economy 97
Commerce and industry 110
6. Economic Growth and Cultural Flowering in the Thirteenth Century 124
Rural economy and society in thirteenth-century Flanders 124
The Cities 128
Flemish cultural life in the thirteenth century 139
7. Foreign Trade, Diplomacy and Dependence: The Catastrophe of Medieval Flanders, 1206-74 150
Joan (1206-44) 151
Margaret (1244-78) 156
The countesses and the nobles 158
Government during the thirteenth century 161
The ties with England 164
The German trade 168
Commercial techniques 169
The Flemish textile industry 173
Signs of crisis 175
The crisis of 1270-4 176
8. A Half-Century of Crisis, 1274-1317 180
The domestic situation to 1285 180
The conflicts with the French 186
9. A Delicate Balance: The End of Dampierre Flanders, 1317-84 209
Between the abyss and the precipice 209
The government of the Flemish counts in the fourteenth century 231
Flemish culture in the fourteenth century 247
10. Economic Depression and World Economy in Flanders, 1315-84 259
The agrarian sector 259
The Flemish textile industry in the fourteenth century: competition and retrenchment 273
The directions of trade 285
Urban society 305
11. A Change of Direction: Flanders in the Burgundian State, 1384-1467 317
Philip 'the Bold' in France and Flanders (1384-1404) 318
John 'the Fearless' (1404/5-1419) 323
Philip 'the Good' (1419-67) 326
The governance of Burgundian Flanders 332
Members and quarters 334
The Burgundian state apparatus 338
Flemish culture in the Burgundian age 346
12. The Flemish Economy in the Burgundian Period: Redirection and Retrenchment 357
The agrarian economy 357
Population and poverty 367
The cities 370
International politics and the money supply 375
Overseas trade 383
13. A Burgundian Funeral and a Habsburg Epitaph: The End of Medieval Flanders, 1467-92 392
Charles the Bold (1467-77) 392
The incorporation of Flanders into the Habsburg empire 394
Bibliography 400
Genealogical tables 439
Maps 443
Index 448
