Mapping through space and time : the itinerary of Charles of Croÿ

Abstract

According to Immanuel Kant geography is the study of space, while history is the study of time (1781/2004). Pushing this classic dictum a bit further, a map is

a representation of space which does not show time or changes over time. How- ever, human movement in space as well as in time has attracted the attention of

geographers for decades and the examples of social geography are legion. In this chapter, we will look into one individual’s reach and constraints in space and time. Charles of Croÿ was, as the fourth Duke of Aarschot, one of the highest ranking noblemen in the Low Countries at the time. He had important functions at court and held several governorships of strategic provinces during his lifetime.

The function of governor was an important military position that entailed pres- ence in the territory and defending the borders from external attacks, in the case

of Hainaut especially from France. Through a visualisation of the itinerary of his life, we can distinguish patterns linked with his functions and responsibilities as well as with specific events in his private life. Through the composed itinerary a correlation is sought with the network of residences, serving Charles of Croÿ and his nomadic lifestyle. According to Paravicini and Kruse, length and frequency of stay are paramount in defining which residence is ‘important’ and which is not (Paravicini 2002), an analysis that we want to apply to Charles of Croÿ. The perennial question is which residence is more important in the residential system and why.