Antwerp Falls to Parma
July 27, 1585
After a year-long siege punctuated by floating fire ships and a daring pontoon bridge across the Scheldt, Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, took Antwerp for Philip II. Half the population fled north to Amsterdam, carrying their trade connections with them. Amsterdam's golden age began with Antwerp's funeral. The merchant exodus to Amsterdam transferred northern Europe's commercial infrastructure and initiated the Dutch Golden Age.
In context
Also in 1585 (4 other events on record)
- England Treaty of Nonsuch · Europe · Politics
- Roanoke Colony Founded · North America · Exploration
- Akbar Shifts Capital to Lahore · South Asia · Politics
- Harriot Arrives in Virginia · North America · Science
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
Renaissance (1501–1650), one of 715 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources