Habsburg Netherlands

Belgium, 1482–1797. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Habsburg Netherlands were the parts of the Low Countries that were ruled by sovereigns from the House of Habsburg. Their rule began in 1482 and ended for the Northern Netherlands in 1581 and for the Southern Netherlands in 1797. Becoming known as the Seventeen Provinces in 1549, they were held by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556, thus becoming known as the Spanish Netherlands from that time on. The remaining Spanish Southern Netherlands became the Austrian Netherlands in 1714, after Austrian acquisition under the Treaty of Rastatt.

Seat of power: Brussels

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• The Grand-Place's construction began in the 11th century and was largely complete by the 17th.
• In 1695, during the Nine Years' War, most of the square was destroyed during the bombardment of Brussels by French troops.
• The square is surrounded by opulent Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels.
• The Grand-Place is also considered one of the world's most beautiful squares, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

Picture

The Grand-Place is the central square of Brussels, Belgium.

Image: Celuici, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sources

• Habsburg Netherlands (Wikipedia)
• Habsburg Netherlands (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.