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As
the former capital of the Netherlands under Burgundy
rule, Mechelen has a rich past. Its heyday marked
the change from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
The city’s nearly 500 year history as seat
of the Archbishop has given it many religious
buildings.
In the 15th and 16th
centuries Mechelen was the capital of the Burgundian
Netherlands (present Belgium and Holland). It
was the residence of Margaret of Austria, regent
of these Netherlands and aunt and tutor of Charles
V later to become the Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire.
The
name of Governor-general Margaret of Austria has
been linked with Mechelen for centuries. Under
her regency at the beginning of the 16th century,
the city flourished culturally, architecturally
and economically. |
