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FAAM

Miniature depicting the Battle of the Golden Spurs from the *Grandes Chroniques de France*, late 14th century - © Wikimedia Commons

The Battle of the Golden Spurs

On July 11, 1302, an army of Flemish townspeople defeated the powerful French knightly army in the Battle of the Golden Spurs near Kortrijk. The battle was a high point in the larger conflict between the Count of Flanders, Guy of Dampierre, and the French king, Philip the Fair. Since 1297, the latter had been waging a major

Still Life with Fish, Clara Peeters, 17th century - © KMSKA, Antwerp - artinflanders.be, photo by Hugo Maertens

The painted fish

A pike, perch, oysters… this 17th-century painting depicts a whole menu of fish. You can almost smell the distinctive aroma. What makes this work special? The painter is a woman, Clara Peeters. Historians know little about her, even though she was one of the few leading female painters of

View of Mariakerke, James Ensor, 1901 - Mu.ZEE - © artinflanders.be, photo by Adri Verburg

Praying for a safe voyage

The Church of Our Lady of the Dunes in Mariakerke, Ostend, dates back to the 11th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, this picturesque little fishing church set against the backdrop of the dunes attracted the attention of many artists. They immortalized the church and its surroundings on canvas. The Ostend painter James Ensor is even buried there

Antwerp Zoo

Antwerp Zoo

Flanders has thirteen accredited zoos. None of them has as rich a history as Antwerp ZOO. It was founded in 1843 as the country’s very first zoo. From the very beginning, Antwerp ZOO has primarily been a place where people go to relax and watch animals in captivity

Aalst Carnival

Aalst Carnival

In Aalst, you’ll find the annual highlight of the Flemish carnival. People parade through the streets in costume. Everyone eats and drinks to their heart’s content—alcohol for the adults and candy for the children. An ordinary man is crowned prince. With the help of masks

The Brabant Draft Horse

The Brabant Draft Horse

Horsepower is, not coincidentally, a common unit of measurement for expressing an engine’s power. When James Watt developed the steam engine at the end of the 18th century, he compared the power of his machine to that of the primary source of traction at the time: the horse.

Fear of hell

Fear of hell

The fear of hell. For centuries, the image of a fiery hell was used by church authorities to keep the faithful in line. Artists vied with one another to create the most terrifying images. They were often aided in this by artists who competed to create the most terrifying images. Think