Order of the Golden Fleece

Type Object Region Low Countries Time 1430–1440

A chivalric order of loyalty founded in Bruges in 1430 by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, bearing the golden fleece as its emblem, intended to bin…

Timeline

1430Bruges · FlandersPhilip the Good held the first investiture ceremony of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Bruges, selecting twenty-four founding knights, adopting the golden fleece of Greek myth as the order's emblem, and swearing allegiance to the Duke of Burgundy.
1431–1440Dijon · BurgundyThe order's statutes established the grand master as the Duke of Burgundy, set a membership cap and an annual assembly system; the order's banner and the golden fleece collar became central to court ceremony, attracting nobles from many lands who sought the honor of membership.

Sources

The Golden Fleece: The History of a Symbol — Hugo Otte (2000)
Philip the Good: The Apogee of Burgundy — Richard Vaughan (2002)