Duurstede Castle
Encyclopedia
Castle Duurstede is a medieval castle
in Wijk bij Duurstede
in the province of Utrecht
in the Netherlands
.
. Until the beginning of the 15th century Duurstede Castle was in possession by the Van Zuylen van Abcoude family, until they were forced to sell it to the bishops of Utrecht in 1449.
Bishop David of Burgundy
, who reigned from 1459 to 1496, completely rebuilt the castle. The old donjon was enclosed by new buildings. The still intact burgundian tower was also built around this time. His successors Frederick IV of Baden
and Philip of Burgundy
also used the castle as their residence, and Philip of Burgundy embellished the castle with renaissance features. Philip of Burgundy settled at Duurstede Castle when he became bishop of Utrecht in 1517. He was accompanied by his court painter Mabuse (Jan Gossaert), who helped to decorate the new palace of his master. At Philip's death, in 1524, Mabuse designed and erected his tomb in the church of Wijk bij Duurstede
. After Philip's death, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
confiscated all territorial possessions of the bishopric of Utrecht, including Duurstede Castle.
, the castle fell into the hands of the States of Utrecht
. The states, however, invested their money into building modern fortification around Wijk bij Duurstede
, and as a result the castle fell into neglect. Further damage was done when french
troops devastated Wijk by Duurstede in 1672, after which the townspeople used stone from the castle to rebuild their homes.
In 1852 the town council became owner of the castle and turned the surrounding fortifications into a park. Until 1925 the castle could only be reached by a little ferry.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Wijk bij Duurstede
Wijk bij Duurstede
- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....
in the province of Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Origin and development
The castle originated in the 13th century. Around 1270, Zweder I van Zuylen van Abcoude built a freestanding keep on a raised and moated site near the lost city DorestadDorestad
In the Early Middle Ages, Dorestad was the largest settlement of northwestern Europe. It was a large, flourishing trading place, three kilometers long, situated where the rivers Rhine and Lek diverge southeast of Utrecht in the Netherlands near the modern town of Wijk bij Duurstede...
. Until the beginning of the 15th century Duurstede Castle was in possession by the Van Zuylen van Abcoude family, until they were forced to sell it to the bishops of Utrecht in 1449.
Bishop David of Burgundy
David of Burgundy
David of Burgundy was a bishop of Utrecht. The illegitimate son of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, he was made bishop of Utrecht by his father from 1456 to 1496 in an attempt to enforce more centralised Burgundian control over the Netherlands. He also served as bishop of Thérouanne from 1451 to...
, who reigned from 1459 to 1496, completely rebuilt the castle. The old donjon was enclosed by new buildings. The still intact burgundian tower was also built around this time. His successors Frederick IV of Baden
Frederick IV of Baden
Frederik of Baden was a bishop of Utrecht from 1496 to 1517.Frederik of Baden was the son of margrave Charles I of Baden-Baden and Catharine of Habsburg. He was canon at Cologne before he was elected as bishop of Utrecht through heavy pressure from Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor...
and Philip of Burgundy
Philip of Burgundy (bishop)
Philip of Burgundy was Admiral of the Netherlands from 1498 to 1517 and bishop of Utrecht from 1517 to 1524....
also used the castle as their residence, and Philip of Burgundy embellished the castle with renaissance features. Philip of Burgundy settled at Duurstede Castle when he became bishop of Utrecht in 1517. He was accompanied by his court painter Mabuse (Jan Gossaert), who helped to decorate the new palace of his master. At Philip's death, in 1524, Mabuse designed and erected his tomb in the church of Wijk bij Duurstede
Wijk bij Duurstede
- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....
. After Philip's death, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
confiscated all territorial possessions of the bishopric of Utrecht, including Duurstede Castle.
Later years
In 1580, as a result of the Dutch RevoltDutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
, the castle fell into the hands of the States of Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
. The states, however, invested their money into building modern fortification around Wijk bij Duurstede
Wijk bij Duurstede
- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....
, and as a result the castle fell into neglect. Further damage was done when french
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops devastated Wijk by Duurstede in 1672, after which the townspeople used stone from the castle to rebuild their homes.
In 1852 the town council became owner of the castle and turned the surrounding fortifications into a park. Until 1925 the castle could only be reached by a little ferry.
The Donjon
The old donjon built by Zweder van Abcoude in the 13th century has withstood the passage of time reasonably well, and is an excellent example of medieval towers. The walls are 2.5 meters thick; the original entrance was at the second level and could only be reached with a wooden ladder that could be removed or destroyed in times of need.The Burgundian Tower
One of the corner towers of the old castle was expanded in the 15th century into its current form. While the rest of the castle had a more residential purpose, the Burgundian tower obviously had a military purpose. It is more than 40 meters high, and has very thick walls.Film and TV
Castle Duurstede was used in the following films and tv-shows:- Bassie en Adriaan
- De Diamant.
- Het Monster van Toth in 1999, a TelekidsTelekidsTelekids is a Dutch children's television programme showing on the RTL 4 channel from 1989 to 1999. The show was initially hosted by Irene Moors. Later Carlo Boszhard joined the presenting team....
film with leading roles for Carlo BoszhardCarlo BoszhardCarlo Boszhard is a Dutch TV personality, singer, impersonator, and host. His brother is Ron Boszhard.-Career:His career started in 1989, hosting a part of the AVRO program "Pauze TV" . In 1990, he switched to RTL 4, where he would present "De gek van de week-show" , which wasn't successful...
and Irene MoorsIrene MoorsIrene Moors is a Dutch TV personality, singer, and host.-Career:Her career took off in 1989 with RTL 4's Telekids, co-starring Carlo Boszhard, turning them both into TV icons of the Netherlands....
. - the interior shots as spanish castle for De Club van SinterklaasDe Club van SinterklaasDe Club van Sinterklaas is a Dutch kids' soap opera loosely based on the legend of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet. The series follows a group of Pieten on their misadventures on their yearly way to the Netherlands. The series has a different subtitle every year in relation to the plot of the year...
& Paniek in de Confettifabriek (2006).