The Spanish Fury
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Wikipedia
Featured visual 
|
On 4 November 1576, troops from the Spanish Tercios started the sack of Antwerp leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, at the time the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The cause of the sack of Antwerp were the huge delays in the payment to the soldiers by the Spanish Crown of Philip II.
The Spanish soldiers, tired of fighting in numeric inferiority against rebel troops, without a rest and without their salary, decided to "pay themselves" by looting Antwerp. Some 7,000 lives were lost, 800 houses were burnt down, and over two millions sterling of damage was done.
This shocking event alienated many in the Netherlands, even Catholics, against the Spanish Habsburg monarchy, and tarnished Philip II's already-damaged reputation. Furthermore, it encouraged the decline of the Antwerp Cloth Market as English traders sought out new commercial links, not wishing to risk visiting the town that now resembled a war zone. By 1582, all English trade to Antwerp had ceased.
Antwerp became the capital of the Dutch revolt. In 1585, Antwerp was captured after a long siege and sent its Protestant citizens into exile. Antwerp's banking was controlled for a generation by Genoa and Amsterdam became the new trading centre.
This event also added to Spain's Black Legend.
