Experience

17th century Antwerp Citadel decorative vase gets prominent place at KMSKA

Posted by Timothy on

Since September 2024, an iconic decorative vase from the 16th century Antwerp Citadel will be exhibited on a statue pedestal in front of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, KMSKA) close to where it once stood. From the 17th century onwards, the vase was located right in the middle of the pentagonal building, on the site where the statue of the Duke of Alba used to stand.

The front façade of the KMSKA. Own photo.

During the inventory of the collection of the municipal Immovable Heritage Depot, the 17th century decorative vase from the citadel was rediscovered three years ago. 

The vase is 116 cm high and has a diameter of 92 cm. It stands on a pedestal and is made of blue limestone. The ornamental vase is one of the few above-ground relics of the citadel and was located in the middle of the pentagonal building from the 17th century. After the demolition of the citadel in 1868, it was given a permanent place in the Museum of Antiquities in Het Steen. After that, it led a dormant existence in various depots and fell into oblivion.

On the forecourt of the KMSKA, it now has a permanent place in the streetscape. In this way, an important piece of Antwerp history is once again brought to the attention of Antwerp residents and visitors.

The vase. Own photo.

History

The Antwerp Citadel, also called the Zuidkasteel or South Castle, was located at the height of the current ‘t Zuid district. This military stronghold was built between 1567 and 1571 by King Philip II of Spain and the Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba. The Duke of Alba is known in the Low Countries – Belgium and the Netherlands – as the Iron Duke or Alva. How the letters B and V are related is a story for language blogs. 

Antwerp was then part of the Netherlands and was under Spanish rule. The citadel was an extension of the Spanish ramparts, intended to control the city and protect it from enemies. The people of Antwerp also called it ‘the fortress’.


16th-century engraving of the citadel with the statue of the Duke of Alba (anonymous, 1571-1574) (© Royal Library of Brussels). Image provided by the City of Antwerp press office.

It was an immense pentagonal structure with a bastion on each corner. The citadel was the scene of the 16th-century battle between the Catholic Spanish authorities and the rebellious townspeople with Protestant sympathies. 

In 1571, the Duke of Alba had a large statue of himself erected in the middle of the building to celebrate his reconquest of the rebellious Netherlands, the so-called Geuzen. The statue was much criticized for its arrogant and vain character. Spain removed the statue 3 years later. In the 17th century, a monumental ornamental vase was placed in this loaded place, right in the middle of the citadel.

Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba. The bronze statue shows the victory of the Duke over the Rebels in the Netherlands; engraving by Philip Galle; bronze statue (Jacob Jonghelinck), 1571; edition from 1679) (© Museum Plantin-Moretus PK.OP.14614). Image provided by the City of Antwerp press office.

Strategic stronghold

During the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the citadel played an important role as a strategic stronghold of the Dutch army. After the capture of Antwerp on 26 October 1830 by Belgian patriots, the Dutch army withdrew into the stronghold. In 1832, during the Siege of Antwerp, the citadel was shot to pieces by the allied French troops. After this, the Dutch army under the command of general David Hendrik, Baron Chassé surrendered and the building fell into Belgian hands.


The ornamental vase at the centre of the citadel among the ruins after the bombardment of 1832. (© Rijksmuseum Amsterdam). Image provided by the City of Antwerp press office.

In the course of the 19th century, the citadel lost its military use with the construction of the new, larger Brialmont Ramparts. It was demolished and the area was parcelled out into the now well-known ‘Zuid’. Only one monumental relic of this gigantic construction remained intact above ground: the large ornamental vase in blue limestone.

Mayor and avid historian Bart De Wever (N-VA): “For centuries, the citadel determined the appearance of our city. During the revolt in the sixteenth century, the hated fortress symbolized how our urban freedoms and tolerance were curtailed by the Spanish rulers. But from the seventeenth century onwards, the relationship with the military governors who resided there thawed. Many of them actively supported the arts in Antwerp and left behind beautiful art treasures. In the nineteenth century, the military importance of the citadel was played out and the gigantic site could make way for a new residential area that was particularly progressive by the standards of the time. The unique mix of living, good living, culture and trade determines the character of the South to this day. I am extremely pleased that the ornamental vase of the citadel will continue to remind us of the glorious prehistory of the South District, as one of the few above-ground remains of the citadel.”

Making history visible

Extensive archaeological research has been carried out on the citadel during work over the past 20 years. Many monumental remains have been preserved underground throughout the entire South, including in the garden of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. 

Because the KMSKA is located near the centre of the former citadel, it is an excellent place to interpret the memory of the citadel. The new location for the ornamental vase also ties in nicely with the statue group of William of Orange and Filips van Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde and the Seventeen Provinces in the museum’s back garden. 

The monumental vase was expertly restored by Renotec.

The Antwerp Citadel

The Antwerp Citadel was constructed to defend and control the city of Antwerp during the early phases of the Dutch Revolt. Renowned as “doubtlessly the most matchless piece of modern Fortification in the World” and “one of the most studied urban installations of the sixteenth century,” this impressive structure was designed by the Italian engineer Francesco Paciotto and built under the orders of the Duke of Alba.


‘Civitates Orbis Terrarum’, city walls of Antwerp with citadel by Braun and Hogenberg, 1572. (© Metropolitan Museum of Art). Image provided by the City of Antwerp press office.

Construction of the citadel was initially completed in 1572. However, following the Sack of Antwerp in 1576, the city’s citizens partially demolished the fortification. It was subsequently reconstructed after the Fall of Antwerp in 1585. 

The citadel played a significant role towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars, when it was defended by resolute Bonapartists. The Siege of Antwerp (1814) persisted for a month even after Napoleon‘s abdication.

Following the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Dutch forces maintained control of the citadel until the Siege of Antwerp (1832). Demolition of the historic structure commenced in 1874 and was fully completed in 1881. 

The site of the former citadel was transformed into a new neighborhood of the city, Zuid, and the most prominent construction within this area became the new building for the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

The historic images in this post were provided by the City of Antwerp press office, which publicizes its press releases inline for everyone to read. The photos of the vase now at the museum were taken by myself. 

On the look of Antwerp