Zandenburg Castle

Zandenburg Castle, also known as Sandenburgh, was a former castle located next to the town of Veere, in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands.

Zandenburg Castle was built around 1280 by Wolfert I of Borselen. He dedicated his castle to Floris V, Count of Holland. The castle was the seat of the Lords of Borselen. A small harbor near the castle would become the town of Veere in the following decades. The heyday of the castle began in the 15th century, when the Lords of Borselen were highly influential members of the medieval nobility. In 1437, Henry II of Borselen was visited here by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

Henry's son was Wolfert VI of Borselen, who, by his marriage in 1444 to Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan, became son-in-law of James I of Scotland. Wolfert VI was appointed Admiral of the Burgundian Netherlands in 1466. Wolfert VI was twice visited at Zandenburg Castle by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1451 and 1470.

In 1485, Wolfert VI was stripped of his functions by Maximilian I of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor, who came to Zandenburg in person to do so, because Wolfert had sided with the Flemish in their revolts against Maximilian. The following year, Wolfert died, and through the arranged marriage of his daughter Anna with Philip of Burgundy-Beveren, the castle came into the possession of the House of Burgundy.

The heyday of Zandenburg Castle continued during the 16th century, although part of the castle was destroyed by a fire in 1505, which was quickly rebuilt. It would become one of the most well-known courts of the Habsburg Netherlands. Philip of Burgundy-Beveren and his son Adolf of Burgundy and grandson Maximilian II of Burgundy were all Admirals of the Netherlands and all entertained important guests at the castle; Philip I of Castile in 1500, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1515 and 1540, and Philip II of Spain in 1556.

After the death of Maximilian II in 1558 without an heir, the heyday of the castle came to an end. Its upkeep was neglected, and it fell into disrepair. At the start of the 80 Years' War, the town of Veere sided with William the Silent, Prince of Orange, and the castle was garrisoned by French troops. By 1572, they tore down the chapel and several unused and ruined parts of the castle, and the released stones were used to fortify Veere. In 1812, the last ruins of the castle were finally demolished.

Depictions of the castle show it to have been rectangular and moated. The round, moated hill next to it might have been the original motte of the castle.

At present, nothing remains of Zandenburg Castle. The castle site is now used as farmland.

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