Philip the Good

(1396-1467)

   Philip III, the Good, was born in Dijon, in Burgundy, on 31 July 1396. He inherited the duchy of Brabant in 1430 from his nephew Philip of Saint-Pol. With Philip's accession, Brussels was ruled by the Burgundian regime and the city was integrated into a vast territorial empire. Urban authorities contributed generously to finance ducal policies, staged elaborate spectacles, and paid for enlargement and embellishment, in 1431 and 1452, respectively, of the Coudenberg Palace. Gifts in monies and goods were lavished on ducal officials to attract and retain royal residents. Ambassadors, clerics, and merchants flocked to Brussels. Philip spent lavishly on building projects and purchase of luxury items, including goldsmiths' wares, precious gems and fabrics, and paintings. He spent more and more time in Brussels—six months in 1451, a year from spring 1451 to spring 1452, and then 350 days in 1460, 358 in 1462, and 363 in 1465. During Philip's rule, the legislative powers of the aldermen were reduced under the Sentence of Saint-Omer of 1461. Philip died in Bruges on 15 June 1467.