Tag: belgium

“Fools” is the nickname for the citizens of Bruges. “Brugse Zotten” = “The Bruges Fools.”

From the artist’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/stanslabbinck/?hl=en

“I made this mural for Legendz, a streetart festival in the centre of Bruges.

It tells the story of the legend of the bruges fools. This is the nickname of the citizens of the city of Bruges. In the 15th century there was a discontent between the Habsburg emperor Maximilian I of Austria and the people of Bruges, who sought more urban autonomy. After Maximilian of Austria was imprisoned for more than four months, the monarch imposed a ban on organizing annual fairs in Bruges.
This prohibition was a financial loss for Bruges, after which the city offered him a big party with the intention of spawning him. In this way, the people of Bruges could again ask for permission to hold an annual fair and also to build a new shelter for the mental ill. According to legend, Maximilian would have responded with the legendary words: ‘Close all the gates of Bruges and you have one big nuthouse.’ —- The four figures symbolize the four seasons.”

“I see a lot of fools who rule countries , walking high above their people.”

6jul19 Bruges, Belgium