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Sint-Maartensdijk Het kasteel

The House of Orange

Frank van Borssele died in 1470 in his castle in Den Briel. Sint-Maartensdijk came into the possession of Floris van Egmond through Frank’s sister Alienora. His ownership was disputed by Jasper van Culemborg, however. The battle that followed was part of the final episode of the Hook and Cod Wars. In Zeeland, this war was referred to as the Squire French war (1488-1492). The town of Sint-Maartensdijk was destroyed at that time. Sint-Maartensdijk and the castle came into the possession of the House of Orange through Anna van Egmond, better known as Anna, Countess of Buren, the first wife of William I of Nassau. King Willem-Alexander is still Lord of Sint-Maartensdijk.

More information about the links between the Royal family and Sint-Maartensdijk can be found in the Orange Room, a small museum at Markt 1.

Derelict

The castle did not play a significant role in the Eighty Years’ War, but it did suffer a lot of damage in the skirmishes. In 1572 and 1573, the Beggars invaded the island of Tholen, plundered the castle and abducted the steward to Den Briel. The town also suffered enormously in the battle. That was when the castle started falling into decay. In the years that followed, the castle was maintained, but it was only after the appointment of Frederik Hendrik, the House of Orange’s master builder, that there was real investment in it again. A chapel was erected on the castle grounds and in the town, the town hall underwent considerable renovation, thanks to a generous donation from the prince. After the death of Frederik Hendrik, the deterioration really set in. Around 1700, the original ‘upper court’ (the main castle) was demolished. Pictures of the castle show that more and more buildings disappeared in the centuries that followed. The castle was inhabited by the steward. The Oranges themselves did not come to Sint-Maartensdijk very often.

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