The Beguines were women who ded­i­cat­ed their lives to God with­out retir­ing from the world. In the 13th cen­tu­ry they found­ed the beguinages , enclosed com­mu­ni­ties designed to meet their spir­i­tu­al and mate­r­i­al needs. The Flem­ish beguinages are archi­tec­tur­al ensem­bles com­posed of hous­es, church­es, ancil­lary build­ings and green spaces, with a lay­out of either urban or rur­al ori­gin and built in styles spe­cif­ic to the Flem­ish cul­tur­al region. They are a fas­ci­nat­ing reminder of the tra­di­tion of the Beguines that devel­oped in north-west­­ern Europe in the Mid­dle Ages.