Holland's Hidden Treasures

It is often said that ‘God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands’. This is particularly true of Holland, the coastal area that now comprises the provinces of North and South Holland. Much of the flat man-made land was won from the sea through clever engineering with dikes, canals and mills: a landscape that inspired numerous painters with pastures and cows producing the famous Dutch cheeses. Approximately 26% of the country lies below sea level, with the lowest point being over 22 ft below the average sea level. In the mediaeval period Holland was already a wealthy county. In 1327 the young king Edward III of England married Philippa of Hainault, daughter of Count William III of Holland, who had married off another daughter to the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1432 Holland became part of the expanding Burgundian realm and in 1477 part of the Habsburg empire through the marriage of the last Burgundian heiress, duchess Mary, to the future Emperor Maximilian I. The Dutch Revolt or Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) resulted in the establishment of the Dutch Republic with Amsterdam as its capital and Holland as the most populated area. Holland was always a maritime region with fishing and trading ports, such as Hoorn and Enkhuizen. The foundation of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 made the seafaring Republic a global power, rich through its overseas trade and conquests. This wealth is reflected in the town houses of the rich merchants and their country estates, e.g. along the river Vecht, but also in civic buildings such as town halls, guild halls and almshouses. It is this aspect of Dutch art and culture that we shall be exploring on this tour through visits to Holland’s hidden treasures.