Antwerp Citadel

Last updated
Antwerp Citadel
Antwerp
Zitadelle von Antwerpen 1572.jpg
Detail from the view of Antwerp in Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, Civitates orbis terrarum (1572)
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
Built1567 (1567)
In use1881 (1881)
Fatedemolished
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]

Contents

History

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 determined 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.

Governors of the citadel

In Spanish the title of the governor of the citadel was Castellano de Amberes ("Castellan of Antwerp").

Our Lady of the Citadel

In the Sint-Joriskerk there is still a brotherhood called Our Lady of the Citadel (Dutch : Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Kasteel). [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Het Steen</span>

Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's biggest ports. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in the 19th century. As the first stone fortification of Antwerp, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building and used to be part of its oldest urban centre. The words "Het Steen", translated from Dutch mean "the rock" in English, although that is not the equivalent etymological meaning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menno van Coehoorn</span> Dutch expert in siege warfare (1641–1704)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca</span> Historic site in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

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 fortress was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, cited as the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Antwerp (1832)</span> French siege of Antwerp in 1832

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 on 23 December 1832. The French had agreed with the Belgian rebels that the latter would not participate in the battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornem Castle</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antwerp</span> City located in Flanders, Belgium

Antwerp is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third largest city in Belgium by area at 204.51 km2 (78.96 sq mi) after Tournai and Couvin. With a population of 536,079, it is the most populous municipality in Belgium, and with a metropolitan population of over 1,200,000 people, the country's 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.

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Antwerp, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterckshof</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Couwelaar Castle</span> Castle in Antwerp, Belgium

Couwelaar Castle, also known as De Drie Torekens, is a castle in the Deurne district of Antwerp. The castle is L-shaped and consists of a main building with wings, as well as several outbuildings including a coach house. The main building is characterized by two round towers at the front and a built-in, square tower at the rear. Over the centuries, the castle has been extensively altered and restored several times and has stylistic elements of the Neo-Renaissance and Rococo, among others. Couwelaar Castle is a historical monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Mortar</span> Heavy mortar

The Monster Mortar was one of the largest mortars ever developed. Also called Leopold or the Liège 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 Royal Canon Foundry in Liège, Belgium in 1832. It saw action at the Battle of Antwerp in December 1832.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pieter Scheemaeckers</span> Flemish artist

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 late 17th-century Habsburg Netherlands. He was also known for his marble funerary monuments an small scale ivory works. He was the father of Peter Scheemakers who became a leading sculptor of portraits and church monuments in 18th century London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortifications of Antwerp</span>

Antwerp was developed as a fortified city, but very little remains of the 10th century enceinte. Only some remains of the first city wall can be seen near the Vleeshuis museum at the corner of Bloedberg and Burchtgracht, and a replica of a burg (castle) named Steen has been partly rebuilt near the Scheldt-quais during the 19th century. Parts of the canals that protected the city between the 12th and 16th century have been covered and used as a sewage system. Both the 16th century city walls and the 19th century fortifications have been covered up by major infrastructure works during the 19th and 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisco Marcos de Velasco</span>

Don Francisco Marcos de Velasco y Alvear, Marquesss of Pico de Velasco, was a Spanish military governor and commander of Antwerp Citadel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Íñigo de Borja</span> Spanish nobleman and military commander

Don Íñigo de Borja y Velasco (1575–1622) was a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as governor of Antwerp Citadel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Ogier</span> Flemish playwright

Barbara Ogier was a Flemish playwright of De Olijftak, a chamber of rhetoric in Antwerp. Her motto was "Deugd voeght yder".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norbertus van den Eynde</span> Flemish sculptor

Norbertus van den Eynde (I), Norbrecht van den Eynde and Norbert van den Eynde (also spelled: Norbertus van den Eynden, Norbert van den Eynden, and Norbertus van den Eynden) (Antwerp, baptized 11 December 1628 – Antwerp, 7 October 1704) was a Flemish sculptor. He is mainly known for his religious sculptures and church furniture. He was the son of the prominent sculptor Huibrecht van den Eynde and a member of the van den Eynde family of sculptors. Van den Eynde was a close associate of Artus Quellinus II. He undertook several commission in the Antwerp Cathedral, including several altarpieces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willem Ignatius Kerricx</span>

Willem Ignatius Kerricx was a Flemish sculptor, painter, draftsman, architect, engineer, playwright and author active in Antwerp in the first half of the 18th century. His sculptural works comprise mostly sculptured church furniture, individual sculptures, mainly statues of saints for churches and a few funerary monuments. His sculptural style is typical for the late Flemish Baroque while he shows a preference for Classicism in his architectural projects. He took over the large family sculpture workshop in Antwerp. As a painter he created both history paintings for churches and still lifes. He was also employed as an architect and engineer, mainly on reconstruction projects. In his youth, he composed a number of comedies and tragedies for the Antwerp theatre.

References

  1. John Evelyn, The Diary of John Evelyn, ed. Guy de la Bédoyère (Woodbridge, 2004), p. 40.
  2. Martha Pollak, "Paradigmatic Citadels: Antwerp/Turin", in Cities at War in Early Modern Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 14.
  3. Piet Lombaerde, Antwerpen versterkt (University Press Antwerp, 2009), pp. 127-133.
  4. "Beeld O.L.Vrouw van het kasteel". Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2017-04-28.

51°12′30″N4°23′34″E / 51.208425000000005°N 4.392738888888888°E / 51.208425000000005; 4.392738888888888