Belgium

The name of Belgium dates back to Roman times: Caesar had called the area “Gallia Belgica”, it was later turned into the Roman province of Belgica. After the fall of the Roman Empire it became part first of the Frankish Realm, then of the Holy Roman Empire. Throughout the Middle Ages, the cities of the Flanders region were among the most important economic hubs of Europe.

Towards the end of the 14th century, the Dukes of Burgundy acquired Flanders together with the Netherlands and Luxemburg. The rule of Philip the Good from 1419 to 1467 in particular was a time of great cultural flourishing; at his court in Bruges and in cities such as Tournai, a new style of painting developed which marked the transition from Gothic to Renaissance art.

After 1477, the Habsburg family ruled what was to become Belgium for 300 years. In 1795 the country was annexed by France, 20 years later the Vienna Congress made it part of the Netherlands, and in 1830 it finally gained independence.

Today the Belgian capital of Brussels is considered the “capital of Europe” as it hosts several principal institutions of the European Union as well the headquarters of NATO.