Page 37 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

THE HIST OR Y OF BRUSSELS  35

capital of Burgundy from Brussels
to Mechelen, where she educated her
nephew, the future emperor Charles V.

Spanish Rule
In 1515, at the age of 15, Charles became
Sovereign of Burgundy. The following year
he inherited the Spanish throne and, in
1519, became the Holy Roman Emperor.
As he was born in Ghent, and considered
Flanders his real home, he restored Brussels
as the capital of Burgundy. Dutch officials
Painting of the family of the Hapsburg King of Austria, Maximillian I arrived to run the three government
and Mary of Burgundy councils that were now based here.
For the first time, the city had a court.
for its grand architec ture, in the form of Both aristocratic families and immi grants,
mansions and churches, and its luxury eager to cash in on the city’s expansion,
crafts trade. were drawn to the heady mix of tolerance,
intellectual sophis tication and business.
The Hapsburg Dynasty Brussels quickly emerged as the most
In 1477, Mary of Burgundy, the last heir powerful city in Flanders, overtaking its
to the duchy, married Maximillian of Austria. long-standing rivals Bruges and Antwerp.
Mary died in 1482, leaving Maxi millian and However, the Reformation, begun in
the Hapsburg dynasty rulers of the city at Germany by Martin Luther, was to usher
a time when Brussels was experiencing in a period of religious conflict. When
serious eco nomic depression. In 1488, Charles V abdicated in 1555, he fractured
Brussels and the rest of Flanders the empire’s unity by leaving the
rebelled against this new power Holy Roman Empire to his brother
which had rein stated relations Ferdinand and all other dominions
with France. The Austrians held to his devoutly Catholic son, Philip
on to power largely because of II of Spain. His persecution of the
the plague of 1490 which halved Protestant movement fin ally
Brussels’ population. Maximillian sparked the Revolt of the Nether-
passed his rule of the Low Portrait of Charles V, lands led by the House of Orange.
Countries to his son, Philip the Holy Roman Emperor Brussels’ Protestant rulers surren-
Handsome in 1494, the year after dered to Philip in 1585. His power
he became Holy Roman Emperor. When ended when the English defeated the
Maximillian died, his daughter, Regent Spanish Armada in 1588, by which time
Empress Margaret of Austria, moved the 8,000 Protestants had been put to death.

1419 Philip the Good 1506 Margaret of Austria 1515 Charles 1555 Catholic Philip II
succeeds as Count of moves the Burgundian Hapsburg becomes succeeds Charles V as
Burgundy capital from Brussels Sovereign of religious reformation
to Mechelen Burgundy comes to Brussels
1400 1450 1500 1550
1430 Under Burgundian 1490 Plague decimates
control, Brussels becomes the the city 1566 Conseil des
major administrative centre Troubles set up by
of the region 1488 Civil war – Brussels Duke d’Alba. Prominent
joins Flanders against Counts Egmont and
Maximillian of Austria Hornes executed Count Egmont

034-035_EW_Brussels.indd 35 10/01/17 10:54 am