Cronache de singniori di Fiandra

As the youngest son of the French king John II, who died in 1364, Philip the Bold had no claim to the throne. To provide for his needs he was allocated a feudal estate, the Duchy of Burgundy. From their base there, Philip and his successors were able to substantially expand their sphere of influence, often by means of a policy of judicious marriages. Flanders and Artesia, for example, came into Philip’s possession by his marriage to Margaret III, the only child and heir of the Count of Flanders.

This 1452 manuscript contains the oldest known map of the County of Flanders, complete with an indication of the towns and the roads that linked them together. This schematic map is part of the Cronache de singniori di Fiandra e de loro advenimenti (Chronicle of the Lords of Flanders and the events of their era), an Italian translation of the Excellente cronike van Vlaenderen. In this work, the Italian translator, possibly from Bruges, tells the story of Flanders from 621 until the Joyous Entry of Philip the Good into Bruges in 1440. Philip the Good was the grandson of Philip the Bold.