Pacifist enemy of the bloodthirsty Duke of Alba, who advocates the same violence

De Vilain belonged to a family of Flemish nobles who served the counts of Flanders and their successors, the dukes of Burgundy, and the Habsburgs. During the reign of Philip II, he held different positions and even chaired the Councils of State and Finance. A moderate Catholic and pragmatic politician, De Vilain disapproved of the violent repression of Calvinists by the feared Duke of Alba.. He also believed that to restore peace and put an end to the disturbances, the king should restore privileges to Flemish subjects and give greater power to local institutions such as the States General, which acted as intermediaries between them and the Spanish crown.

“According to him, II. One of the issues that needed to be understood to end the fighting between Philip and his subjects was ‘the nature of the country’ (‘le natural du pays’). By this Vilain meant: The king was not the only person ‘natural’ to the country, but all his subjects possessed these characteristics. The ruler and the subjects were connected to the country because of this ‘naturalness’, and for Vilain the forgetting of this connection was an important cause of the ongoing civil war,” the Belgian professor explained this Wednesday in Aranjuez. Jonathan DumontMember of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. I did it at the beginning of days Cultural exchanges between the courts of the Iberian Peninsula and the Habsburg Netherlandsedited by King Juan Carlos University, HE Moll Institute -Flamenco Painting Research Center founded by Prensa Ibérica, the publisher of this newspaper- and Silesian University in Katowice. Among the audience were: Belgian ambassador Geer Cockx.

Although these theories II. Although he opposed the absolutism that marked Philip’s reign, Vilain obtained from the king the right to speak to him directly and freely, even when he is not invited to do so. And in this way he was able to take a critical stance towards those responsible for the Crown’s foreign affairs. The quality of Dumont’s advice, based on his declared ‘naturalness’, contrasted with the mistakes made by others who were completely alien to Dutch reality.

But the failed part peace of breda He was derailed in 1575 when the king refused to guarantee religious freedom in these lands, and he died in 1576. Luis de RequesensErdogan, who replaced the Duke of Alba as governor of Flanders with a more comprehensive and moderate policy, put an end to his conciliatory and reformist aims. In addition, in 1578, Vilain arrested by Calvinists When he went to the General Assembly of States in Ghent and spent two years in prison.

He emerged from that traumatic experience completely changed. He felt betrayed by those he defended and abandoned the idea of ​​shared sovereignty. The Flemish nobleman showed his support for the oppressive policy of the Spanish king, and while he had previously been in favor of peace and tolerance, he now He certainly preferred violence to suppress the ‘infidels’. “Because of his anger,” Dumont said, “Vilain sees what is going on in a more ideological way than before. […] “He hopes that the princes will band together to put down a rebellion that threatens the divine order.”

Baptism of Philip II and the Flemish ‘janitors’

This Wednesday’s talks also included learning time; Author of the scene involving the baptism of Philip II in the church of San Pablo in Valladolid, which can now be attributed to the Flemish painter Jacob van Battel. There is a document proving that payment has been made for this work. Historical Archive of the Nobility Toledo guided teachers Africa Espíldora Garcia And Ana Diéguez-RodriguezThe last director of the Moll Institute, the second director of the Moll Institute, to credit this authorship and to reveal a subject that led them to delve into the career of a painter who worked intermittently for the Order of the Golden Fleece on various occasions and often within and outside Spain. Burials of monarchs, such as those of France and England.

According to this document found, academics say, “The work entrusted to him, structures built to decorate the route of the procession Prince Philip was escorted from the palace where Empress Elizabeth resided to St. Paul, where he was christened. escorted to Paul’s church. Descriptions that have come down to us speak of an elevated walkway connecting the two buildings, surrounded by railings on two sides and passing under five triumphal arches. Everywhere was decorated with fragrant plants, fruits and flowers. As the procession passed, actors and singers in each of the arches performed various scenes of a religious nature.”

The contributions to the Spanish crown and to the then-developed and developed society of the Netherlands were numerous, and those present at the conference could perceive their legacy in the Aranjuez Palace, a few steps away from where they were held. He reminded this in his presentation José Eloy Hortal MunozRey Juan Carlos University professor Royal Sites It underlined the essential role played by ‘janitors’ (spelled this way, with a G at the time), a position of French and Flemish tradition (like the palace in question). They were tasked with maintaining these magnificent palace buildings, while also making them more efficient and securing their artistic heritage. “In the 1560s,” said Hortal Muñoz, “Philip II employed a large number of Flemish ‘janitors’ who came directly from the Netherlands, not only to take care of these places, but also to implement innovative techniques in gardens, buildings, pharmacies, and clocks… ” The faces of the audience said it all: You had to rush to see it up close.