Bourgeois of Brussels

This word derives from the Dutch word fallen into disuse poorte,[6] city or place closed by walls, like the imposing stone houses that the rich bourgeois of the Seven Noble Houses lived in during the early days of the city, and to which was also given the name of "poorte" or "porta" in Latin, and whose synonym was "herberg" or "hostel" and which are also called steen.

This urban system in Europe dates back for many cities still existing today to Greco-Latin antiquity, others were founded around the year one thousand.

In Germany, it was slowly abolished, and only Hamburg and Bremen retain the Hanseatic designation freie Stadt from their days as free imperial cities.

The following is a chronological list of surviving Brussels bourgeois families[9] with the date of admission and of which of the Seven Noble Houses (Lignages in French) they currently descend from, if any.

Il n'en va pas autrement du plan dispersé de nos villages qui s'oppose à l'habitat fortement groupé que connaît l'Orient dès le Néolithique.