Philip the Good

Philip the Good is Duke of Burgundy as Philip III, a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all the kings of France belong. During his reign, Burgundy has reached the new levels of prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts. Philip is known for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists such as Jan van Eyck and Franco-Flemish composers such as Gilles Binchois, and the capture of Joan of Arc. In political affairs, he alternates between alliances with the English and the French in an attempt to improve his dynasty’s position. As ruler of Flanders, Brabant, Limburg, Artois, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Friesland and Namur, he plays an important role in shaping the future of the Low Countries.