The Murder of William of Orange

Delft had been the scene of a political assassination just a year before Kiechel’s visit. Our traveller reports that a Spaniard had shot the Prince of Orange. The murderer was captured and executed. Parts of his body were displayed at the four gates of Delft, where Kiechel saw the remains.

Initially, the protests were requests to redress the balance of power. However, they soon became entangled with religious matters. Although many Dutch noblemen were Catholic, they were nevertheless opposed to the violent persecution of Protestants by the Spanish. Soon, religious questions became the driving force that led to the Dutch Revolt (Eighty Years’ War). William emerged as the leader of the rebellion against the Spanish. In 1579, Philip II outlawed William, and an assassination attempt was made in Antwerp in 1582. Following this attempt, William moved his residence to the former Sint Agathaklooster (St. Agatha monastery) in Delft, subsequently renamed “Prinsenhof”.

Following the successful assassination, Philip did not pay out the promised bounty in money. Instead, Gérard’s parents received three country estates in the Franche-Comté, and he was elevated to the peerage. These three estates had originally belonged to William’s family.

Dordrecht

The traveller also mentions that fish are cheap, especially salmon, which is caught there. Dordrecht is the last city in the province of Holland and lies five miles from Delft.

The views of Dordrecht in the “Civitates” support Kiechel’s description. The first view shows the city in profile, situated on an island in the river Merwede and enclosed by a wall. In the lower-left corner of this view, a legend identifies nineteen buildings by name, including three inns.

The second depiction of Dordrecht provides a bird’s-eye view. Like the profile view, the city appears as an island. Various ships on the river indicate commercial activity. In the upper right corner of the map, the tidal wetlands of the Biesbosch are visible. A broad canal runs through the city, and large open spaces can still be seen within Dordrecht’s walls. These spaces seem to be gardens and orchards.

Dordrecht was not always an island. In 1421, a storm in the North Sea caused a breach in the dykes, resulting in large areas of Zeeland and southern Holland being submerged in what became known as the St. Elizabeth’s Flood. The disaster significantly reshaped the Rhine-Meuse delta. The land south of Dordrecht was inundated and transformed into tidal wetlands. While some of this area has been reclaimed over time, the Biesbosch is now a Dutch national park.

An exceptionally lifelike view of Dordrecht was made by the Flemish artist Anton van den Wijngaerde (1525-1571) in 1545. He presents the city in profile view, with some of its surrounding landscape visible. Van den Wijngaerde worked in the service of King Philip II of Spain and produced panoramic views of various European cities. Although most of these cities were in Spain, van den Wijngaerde also drew remarkable views of Dutch cities and an impressive panorama of London. His work was based on observations made from different viewpoints and preliminary sketches. The results of his careful observations were always very lifelike, as he often included scenes of local life.

The final image of the city I wish to highlight is a remarkable map by the Dutch artist and cartographer Jacob van Deventer. The map is divided into two sections: one showing the city from a high vantage point, highlighting much of the surrounding countryside and emphasising the island-like character of Dordrecht. The other section is focusing on the city itself, displaying the layout of its streets and canals.