Grand béguinage de Tournai, Medieval beguinage in Tournai, Belgium.
The Grand Begijnenhof of Tournai is a partially surviving medieval religious community with a church and residential buildings. The site contains several original structures, a chapel, and a central courtyard where women once lived together in spiritual practice.
The beguinage was founded in 1241 when Jacques le Tondeur donated land in the Prés district, backed by support from Henri de Gand. It grew into a significant center for women living independent religious lives until parts of it were later destroyed.
The beguinage was a place where women could live a religious life without formal ties to the church or binding vows. These women controlled their own work and daily routines while living in close community with others like them.
The site is partly open to visitors and some restored buildings now serve as housing units. You can walk through the central area to see the surviving structures and understand the original layout of this community.
The central garden was reshaped in 1838 when two rows of houses were built, and these structures still stand today. This change shows how the use and living patterns of the community evolved over the centuries.
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