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Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded thebéguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemishbéguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.