Geopolitics in the Late Middle Ages: The Castle Complex of Sluis (1386-1492)

Between 1386 and 1400, the Burgundian duke Philip the Bold developed the strategic port town of Sluis into a fortified complex. The so-called Great Castle controlled all commercial traffic between Bruges and the North Sea from the right bank of the Zwin estuary, backed by the Tower of Burgundy on the opposite bank, a smaller but equally impressive structure. While French architectural influence and financial input were undeniable in the conceptual phase of the castle, its command would become increasingly oriented towards the Low Countries. The development and management of these castles provides an ideal angle to study the way in which the Dukes of Burgundy asserted their control over important geostrategic points in their realm.