EAA2021: Abstract

Over the course of the fifteenth and sixteenth century, the vast majority of nobility’s castles in the Low Countries was not practically defendable anymore against the increased power of artillery. Qualities of defence were often interchanged for a higher degree of comfort and a more representative appearance. Still, these rural dwellings often kept their archaic castellated appearance. Why keeping up appearances?
I will argue that the concept of a castle was inextricably bound to the concept of the past as a justification of the present. The castellated appearance was a visible and tangible reference to the descendance and legitimate rulership of the local lord. So the castle was used to legitimize rulership.
Which architectural features made these castles? For this presentation, I will focus on castles and rural houses of the high nobility in the Low Countries, roughly between 1450 and 1550. By identifying architectural modernizations, we will start recognizing the archaic elements. I will show how some castles/rural dwellings were turned into more representative, modern courts that lost their defensive qualities and at the same time kept characteristic elements of a ‘castle’. I will also relate them to the 1536 definition of the ‘ridderhofstede’ (knight’s house) issued by emperor Charles V. Thereby I will briefly consider contemporary terminology.

castle, fifteenth century, sixteenth century, Low Countries, nobility, residences

 Abstract (PDF)

Bart van Eekelen^1,2