the late medieval era
In 1275, the wooden bridge across the river Maas collapsed when a procession was
walking over it. Then the bridge of Saint Servaas was built and remains a show-piece of
Maastricht forever.
In the thirteenth century, the town surrounded itself with stone walls. It was the target
of thirteen wars between Liege and Brabant. In 1284, the Alde Caerte settled the division of
Maastricht between Liege and Brabant. Since then until the Napoleontic era, for Maastricht was
valid: "Trajectum neutri domino, sed paret utrique" (Maastricht belongs to no one of the two
lords, but to both). Maastricht soon learned how to play off the two lords against each other.
The second ring of stone walls that made the city thrice as large was finished about 1350.
There were hospices for the pilgrims to the grave of Saint Servaas (on the Vrijthof, see
the picture). The lepers got a house outside the walls. The city was full of monasteries and convents:
white women (very early), Franciscan friars, Augustin friars, Dominicans, Cellebroeders,
Kruisheren, sisters of Sint-Annadal (Saint Anna valley), faliezusters, etc. They set up hospitals for the sick,
especially when pestilence prevailed.
The Tempeleers had in Maastricht a monastery. Rumour has it that awful things happened there in secrecy.
another picture
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