Antwerp Citadel | |
---|---|
Antwerp | |
Type | bastion fort |
Site information | |
Owner | Habsburg Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Spanish Netherlands, Austrian Netherlands, United Belgian States, First French Republic, First French Empire, United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Belgium |
Site history | |
Built | 1567 |
In use | 1881 |
Fate | demolished |
Battles/wars | Sack of Antwerp (1576), Fall of Antwerp (1585), Siege of Antwerp (1814), Siege of Antwerp (1832) |
Antwerp Citadel (Spanish : Castillo de Amberes, Dutch : Kasteel van Antwerpen) was a pentagonal bastion fort built to defend and dominate the city of Antwerp in the early stages of the Dutch Revolt. It has been described as "doubtlesse the most matchlesse piece of modern Fortification in the World" [1] and as "one of the most studied urban installations of the sixteenth century". [2]
The citadel was designed by the Italian engineer Francesco Paciotto and built on the orders of the Duke of Alva. Initial construction was completed in 1572. After the Sack of Antwerp (1576) the citizens partially demolished the fortification, but it was reconstructed after the Fall of Antwerp (1585).
The citadel saw action towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars, when it was defended by diehard Bonapartists. The Siege of Antwerp (1814) continued for a month after Napoleon's abdication.
After the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Dutch forces remained in control of the citadel until the Siege of Antwerp (1832).
Demolition began in 1874 and was completed in 1881. [3] The site became a new neighbourhood of the city, Zuid, in which the most prominent construction was the new building for the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
In Spanish the title of the governor of the citadel was Castellano de Amberes ("Castellan of Antwerp").
In the Sint-Joriskerk there is still a brotherhood called Our Lady of the Citadel (Dutch : Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Kasteel). [4]
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city" means "little city", it’s so called because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. Ancient Sparta had a citadel, as did many other Greek cities and towns.
Menno, Baron van Coehoorn was a Dutch soldier and engineer, regarded as one of the most significant figures in Dutch military history. In an era when siege warfare dominated military campaigns, he and his French counterpart Vauban were the acknowledged experts in designing, taking and defending fortifications.
The Fall of Antwerp on 17 August 1585 took place during the Eighty Years' War, after a siege lasting over a year from July 1584 until August 1585. The city of Antwerp was the focal point of the Protestant-dominated Dutch Revolt, but was forced to surrender to the Spanish forces. Under the terms agreed, all Protestants were given four years to settle their affairs and leave the city. Many migrated north, especially to Amsterdam, which became the capital of the Dutch Republic. Apart from losing a high proportion of its mercantile population, Antwerp's trade suffered for two centuries as Dutch forts blockaded the River Scheldt up to 1795.
The 1695 Siege of Namur or Second Siege of Namur took place during the Nine Years' War between 2 July and 4 September 1695. Its capture by the French in the 1692 and recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695 are often viewed as the defining events of the war; the second siege is considered to be William III's most significant military success.
The Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca is a fortress on the coast of the Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba. About 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the city centre, it overlooks the bay.
The siege of Antwerp took place after fighting in the Belgian Revolution ended. On 15 November 1832, the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Gérard began to lay siege to the Dutch troops there under David Chassé. The siege ended 23 December 1832. The French had agreed with the Belgian rebels that the latter would not participate in the battle.
Bornem Castle, also known as the Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde Castle, is a country house, formerly a castle, located in Bornem, province of Antwerp, Belgium. Bornem Castle is situated at an elevation of 1 meters.
Antwerp is a city in Belgium and the capital of Antwerp province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, it is the most populous city proper in Belgium, and with a metropolitan population of around 1,200,000 people, it is the second-largest metropolitan region after Brussels.
Verdussen was a dynasty of printers in Antwerp, starting with Hieronymus Verdussen I in the late sixteenth century, and ending around 1800. Many other printers in Antwerp were also related to the Verdussens through marriage. They specialized in religious works and works in Spanish, but also published newspapers, almanachs, poetry, scientific works, .... By the end of the 17th century, they produced about 21% of the Spanish books printed in the Netherlands, and with 5 presses was second only to Moretus in Antwerp. In 1876, the Verdussenstraat was named after the family in Antwerp.
Ferdinand de Braekeleer, sometimes spelled as Ferdinand de Braeckeleer, was a Flemish painter. He is known for his historical paintings and is called 'the Elder' to distinguish him from his son with the same name, who was also a painter.
The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Antwerp, Belgium.
The Sterckshof castle is in Deurne, Antwerp, Belgium. From 1994 to 2014 it housed the Sterckshof silver museum of the Province of Antwerp. Built on the site of a much older castle, or great house, the present building is a reconstruction erected in the 1920s.
The Monster Mortar was one of the largest mortars ever developed. Also called Leopold or the Liege mortar, the 24 inches (610 mm) caliber mortar was conceived by the French artillery officer Henri-Joseph Paixhans. The mortar was manufactured under the direction of the Belgian Minister of War Baron Louis Evain and cast at the Belgian royal foundry in Liège, Belgium in 1832. It saw action at the Battle of Antwerp in December 1832.
Pieter Scheemaeckers, Pieter Scheemackers, Pieter Scheemaeckers I or Pieter Scheemaeckers the Elder was a Flemish sculptor who played an important role in the development of Baroque church sculpture in the Southern Netherlands.
Coloma or de Coloma or Colomba is an old important Spanish Noble House. A branch belongs to the Flemish nobility, and became the Counts of Bornhem. Other branches became the Counts of Elda, Marquesses of Espinar, Marquesses of Noguera and Marquesses of Canales de Chozas.
Don Francisco Marcos de Velasco y Alvear, Marquesss of Pico de Velasco, was a Spanish military governor and commander of Antwerp Citadel.
Don Íñigo de Borja y Velasco (1575–1622) was a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as governor of Antwerp Citadel.
Events in the year 1832 in Belgium.
Coordinates: 51°12′30″N4°23′34″E / 51.208425000000005°N 4.392738888888888°E