Scherpenzeel () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

and a town in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

province of

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

. As of , it has a population of , with approximately 6,000 adults. The community of Scherpenzeel also contains a part of the hamlet of Moorst. Gem-Scherpenzeel-OpenTopo

''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Scherpenzeel, June 2015''

History

Founding

Centuries ago, what is now the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

was still a collection of small states, ruled by

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

s, and

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

s. These rulers were constantly at war over territory, causing fortifications and defenses to be built in border areas. This was the case in the

Veluwe The Veluwe () is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts. The Ve ...

hills, which lay along the border of what is now

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

and Gelderland, where many castles and fortresses were constructed as safe havens. Hence, the name "Scherpenzeel", formerly known as "Scarpenzele", allows us to infer that there was a settlement built around a house ("''zele''") with sharpened poles ("''scarpen''"), the prototype of an old castle. The possession of Scherpenzeel was at various times claimed by either Gelderland or Utrecht, but it has now been a part of Gelderland since September 1814.

Scherpenzeel House (town hall)

The town's most notable landmark, Scherpenzeel House (''Huize Scherpenzeel'' in Dutch; located at 3 Burgemeester Royaardslaan) began as a 14th-century

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

. In the following centuries, it underwent several modifications. In 1652, it was expanded considerably by Lady Aleyd of Scherpenzeel. In the years 1857–1858, it acquired its present

Neogothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

form, designed by S.A. van Lunteren, who also designed the surrounding park. At the time it belonged to the Royaard family, who maintained residence there until 1956. In 1975, Scherpenzeel House was declared a national monument and entrusted to the municipality. The building was used as the town hall until 2003.Stenvert, R. et al. (2000), ''Monumenten in Nederland: Gelderland'', p. 287–288. Zwolle: Waanders Uitgevers. . In 2005, it was let to the Friends of Geldersche Castles Foundation, who keep it open to the public and allow wedding ceremonies to be held there.

Gallery

File:Dorpsgezicht Scherpenzeel Gelderland..JPG, Dorpsgezicht Scherpenzeel File:3925 Scherpenzeel, Netherlands - panoramio (3).jpg, Scherpenzeel, panoramio File:Manor of Scherpenzeel with lovely reflection - panoramio.jpg, Manor of Scherpenzeel, panoramio File:Huis Scherpenzeel Beneden 1.jpg, Huis Scherpenzeel Beneden

References

External links

*
Official website
Municipalities of Gelderland Populated places in Gelderland {{Gelderland-geo-stub