Vredenburg (castle)

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Etching of the castle, ca. 1540

Vredenburg or Vredeborch was a 16th-century castle built by Habsburg emperor Charles V in the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands. Some remains of the castle, which stood for only 50 years, are still visible on what is now Vredenburg square in Utrecht.

The Holy Roman Empire in 1528 annexed the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, and Emperor Charles V immediately ordered the construction of a castle in Utrecht to protect the domain from invasion by the duke of Guelders, as well as to retain control over the city's unruly population. Construction was begun in 1529 and completed in 1532.

After the Pacification of Ghent was signed on November 8, 1576, the Eighty Years' War broke out and the castle's Spanish garrison prepared to be besieged by the Dutch rebels, turning the castle's cannons towards the city itself.

By December, the siege was underway and fighting broke out between the Spanish and Dutch. However, the garrison abandoned the castle on February 11, 1577, following negotiations between garrison commander Francesco Fernando d'Avila and Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard, the count of Bossu, who served as temporary Dutch stadholder.

The citizens of Utrecht demanded that the castle be demolished to prevent the Spanish or other foreign powers from dominating the city again in future. However, the city government opposed demolishment, so as not to offend the emperor. On May 2, the population took the matter into their own hands. According to legend, a group of local women led by Trijn van Leemput stormed the castle and Trijn gave the signal for the castle to be destroyed by removing the first bricks from the castle walls. Despite doubts about the historical accuracy of this tale, a statue of Trijn van Leemput was erected on the Zandburg bridge in Utrecht in 1955.

The demolishment of the castle lasted until 1581. The two western towers remained standing, as they were part of the outer city wall. However, they were also demolished piece by piece in the following centuries; by 1919 they had completely disappeared. The foundations of Vredenburg castle were uncovered during archeological excavations in 1976 and 1978.