The Prinsenhof in Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

 was the normal residence of the Counts of Flanders

Count of Flanders

The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....

 in Ghent starting in the 15th century.

History

The Prinsenhof was used by the counts of Flanders since at least 1366. Before that, the site was the home of the financier Simon de Mirabello, and had chapels tied to the abbey of Saint Bavo. It was then called the Hof ten Walle. Philip the Good, who lived there in his youth, had it completely rebuilt.