Ghent

Ghent is a city in northwestern Belgium and the capital of East Flanders. Its historic center preserves a major ensemble of medieval architecture.

Gravensteen: A medieval castle in Ghent built by the counts of Flanders. The castle anchors Ghent’s medieval center and recalls its comital rulers.
Leie: A river that rises in France and joins the Scheldt in Ghent. Its course through Ghent helped shape the city’s waterways and transport.
Jacob van Artevelde: A fourteenth-century Ghent statesman who led the city during the early phase of the Hundred Years’ War. His leadership exemplifies Ghent’s ability to pursue an independent foreign policy.
Ghent cotton industry: The nineteenth-century textile industry that made Ghent a major cotton-manufacturing center. Industrial expansion transformed Ghent’s economy and working-class districts.
Saint Bavo's Cathedral: A Gothic cathedral in Ghent known for the Ghent Altarpiece. Its architecture and celebrated altarpiece make it a defining religious landmark.
Scheldt: A river flowing through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the North Sea. Ghent’s connection to this river linked it to wider regional trade.
Philip van Artevelde: A fourteenth-century Ghent leader who headed a revolt against the count of Flanders. His rebellion shows the intensity of conflict between Ghent’s citizens and their rulers.
Belgian Revolution: The 1830 uprising that led to Belgium’s separation from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Ghent’s political role in the new state shaped its modern civic identity.
Belfry of Ghent: A medieval bell tower in Ghent and part of the city’s UNESCO-listed belfries. The tower expressed the city’s civic autonomy and guarded its charters.
Saint Bavo's Abbey: A Benedictine abbey founded near Ghent in the seventh century. The abbey was one of the early religious centers around which Ghent developed.

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