Aardenburg
Encyclopedia
Aardenburg is a small city (population as of 2008: 2,438) close to the Dutch border with Belgium
. It is part of the Sluis
Municipality, located in the province of Zeeland
in the Netherlands
. Its medieval name was Rodenburgh (Red Castle).
In the Sint-Baafskerk, ("Saint Bavo's Church), Aardenburg houses the most complete example of the Scheldegotiek, the characteristic Gothic architecture
of the Scheldt
. It is also still possible today to see remains of some of the fortifications that used to enclose the city.
, flourishing in the second and third centuries AD, where the foundations have been uncovered of a small Celto-Roman temple. After the Second World War restorations to damaged buildings uncovered fragments of Roman
rooftiles, of which some bear the markings of a Roman military post, as well as black vases and Roman sandals. The most significant find, however, was that of a Roman building with a foundation of 18 by 10 meters. The Roman Castellum
was in use from 175 to 270 AD.
On top of the foundations of this Roman building there were the remains of a Medieval building, which was destroyed in 1383 according to later accounts.
Rodenburgh was granted city rights in 1127 and is thus one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands
and is the oldest city in Zealand.
Until July 1, 1966, Aardenburg was a separate municipality. Until January 1, 2003, it was then in the municipality of Sluis-Aardenburg
. In 2003 Sluis-Aardenburg and nearby Oostburg
were combined into an enlarged Sluis municipality.
Aardenburg was walled at the end of the thirteenth century: the present Kaaipoort at the old town's western entrance dates only from the sixteenth century. The name of the gate recalls Aardenburg's former harbour, the site of which is now dominated by a bank. The blue banner decorating the Kaaipoort in this picture is a temporary embellishment, celebrating the carnival that precedes Lent.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is part of the Sluis
Sluis
Sluis is the name of both a municipality and a town located in the west of Zeelandic Flanders, in the south-western part of the Netherlands....
Municipality, located in the province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Its medieval name was Rodenburgh (Red Castle).
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
of the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
. It is also still possible today to see remains of some of the fortifications that used to enclose the city.
History
Archeologists have found proof of settlement as early as 4500 BC. The site was a small Roman vicusVicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
, flourishing in the second and third centuries AD, where the foundations have been uncovered of a small Celto-Roman temple. After the Second World War restorations to damaged buildings uncovered fragments of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
rooftiles, of which some bear the markings of a Roman military post, as well as black vases and Roman sandals. The most significant find, however, was that of a Roman building with a foundation of 18 by 10 meters. The Roman Castellum
Castellum
A castellum is a small Roman detached fort or fortlet used as a watch tower or signal station. The Latin word castellum is a diminutive of castra , which in turn is the plural of castrum ; it is the source of the English word "castle".The term castellum was also used to refer to a settling or...
was in use from 175 to 270 AD.
On top of the foundations of this Roman building there were the remains of a Medieval building, which was destroyed in 1383 according to later accounts.
Rodenburgh was granted city rights in 1127 and is thus one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and is the oldest city in Zealand.
Until July 1, 1966, Aardenburg was a separate municipality. Until January 1, 2003, it was then in the municipality of Sluis-Aardenburg
Sluis-Aardenburg
Sluis-Aardenburg was a municipality in the province of Zeeland, in the south-western part of the Netherlands. It was created from a merger of Sluis and Aardenburg in 1995, and it merged with the municipality of Oostburg on January 1, 2003, to form the new municipality of Sluis...
. In 2003 Sluis-Aardenburg and nearby Oostburg
Oostburg
Oostburg is a town in the south-western Netherlands. It is the largest town in the municipality of Sluis, in the province of Zeeland. As of 1 January 2005, its population is 5,008. It received city rights in 1237....
were combined into an enlarged Sluis municipality.
External links
- Aardenburg Cultuurstad (Aardenburg City of Culture) (in Dutch)
- Roman Aardenburg
- Web page about the city's coat of arms (in Dutch)
- Richard Stillwell, ed. Princeton Encyclopaedia of Classical =Sites, 1976: Aardenburg Map of the former municipality in 1868.