Flandrica contains documents created in and dealing with Flanders, as well as gems that have become part of the Flemish patrimony, such as the Anjou Bible. This fragile manuscript from the 14th century, made in Italy but in Flemish hands since 1509, is safely stored in a dark vault in Leuven, but you can now admire its superbly illuminated pages online.

“We bring such treasures from the heritage libraries to the general public,” explains coordinator Eva Wuyts of the Flanders Heritage Library. “Visitors can learn about Flemish culture throughout the ages while enjoying wonderful handwriting and illustrations.”

You can skim through the database of 425 heritage items via themes, places and periods, but there also are three guided tours available. These take you through a history of influential Flemish personalities, official masterpieces and places that have disappeared in the course of time.

From anatomy to gastronomy

Flandrica’s oldest manuscripts are theological documents of papyrus dating from the fifth century; the collection also contains a poem by contemporary Flemish author Tom Lanoye. Flandrica presents several historical masterpieces such as On the Structure of the Human Body, the most influential textbook on human anatomy of its time, written by 16th-century Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius.

You’ll also find Karel ende Elegast, a poem in Dutch from around the 13th century. The platform also includes documents that describe daily life in times past, such as the 1651 Brabant Cookbook with its pear tart recipe.

You can discover how an artist from Antwerp illustrated the manners, customs and dress of 18th-century Calcutta through his drawings. Or read some of the 16th-century “sea stories” in the Whale Book of biologist Adriaen Coenen. Take a look too at the more recent history of Limburg’s mines through pictures and testimonies collected in a commemoration book from 1957.

Flandrica is the result of 20 months of work by the Flanders Heritage Library, a network established in 2008 by six heritage libraries in Flanders. The Flemish government supports the network with an annual budget of €100,000, a sum used to develop competence and spread knowledge about preserving Flemish heritage library collections. The goal is to make the patrimony accessible and raise public awareness about its riches.

Apart from adding to Flandrica’s content, the Flanders Heritage Library has plans to expand its functionality so that it can more easily be used for education and research purposes. Flandrica’s treasury will also become part of the European platform Europeana.

www.flandrica.be