Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

the hist or y of bel gium  45

The Triumph of the Archduchess Isabella, by Dennis van Alsloot, detailing a procession through Brussels in 1615

burnt at the stake. Charles V abdicated in in Brussels’s Grand Place in 1568. Protestant
1555. In doing so, he fractured the empire’s forces gained ground in the 1570s, until
unity, leaving the Holy Roman Empire to his troops loyal to Spain and led by the Duke
brother Ferdinand and all other dominions, of Parma regained control over 1578–85.
which included the Low Countries, to his Philip’s ambition to crush Protestantism was
devoutly Catholic son, Philip II of Spain. only curbed when the English defeated the
Philip’s persecution of Protestants finally Spanish Armada in 1588.
sparked the Revolt of the Netherlands
(the Eighty Years’ War), led by the House The Counter-Reformation
of Orange. Protestant rebel leaders were In 1598, Philip’s daughter, Isabella, and
mockingly labelled gueux or geuzen her husband, the Archduke Albert, became
(beggars), but the “sea beggars” started rulers of the Spanish Netherlands. Their war
an effective campaign of naval raids that on Protestants caused tens of thousands to
dis rupted shipping. Protestant iconoclasts flee north across the Scheldt estuary to the
made their mark by smashing and vandalizing United Provinces of the Netherlands, which
church decorations that offended their sense had declared independence from Spain in
of spiritual purity. A wealth of medieval 1585. The Low Countries had essentially
sculptures, paintings and treasures were split along this religious divide. Peace
destroyed during this time. intervened briefly after 1609 as, launched
The Duke of Alba, Governor of the by the Council of Trent, the Counter-
Netherlands, responded with a Reformation turned the tide for
campaign of harsh retribution, Catholicism. Isabella and Albert
in which he was assisted by the oversaw a glorious rise in the
much feared Inquisition. Some prosperity of the Spanish
8,000 death senten ces were Netherlands. This was reflected
issued; among the victims were in the dynamism and swagger
two conciliatory negotiators, of the work of their court
the counts Hornes and Philip II (1527–98), an oil on painter Rubens, and his fellow
Egmont, who were executed canvas painted by Rubens in 1628 artists in Antwerp.

Fernando Alvarez, Duke of Alba (1507–82)
1567 The Duke of Alba sets 1598 Isabella and Albert are
up the Council of Troubles installed as rulers of the 1601–04 Archduke Albert
to eradicate Protestantism Netherlands and run a strong lays siege to Oostende to
and dissent anti-Protestant regime oust the geuzen
1560 1580 1600
1610–11 Rubens, back
1568–1648 1577 Birth of from Italy, launches his
The Eighty Peter Paul Rubens career in Antwerp with
Years’ War Raising of the Cross for
Detail from Rubens’s the cathedral
Raising of the Cross

Picture label
044-045_EW_Belgium.indd 45 16/10/14 3:35 pm