Egmont's crypt (

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

: ''Egmontcrypte'') is a

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

on the market square in

Zottegem Zottegem (, Sotteghem and Sottegem in older English and French language sources) is a city and municipality located in Belgium and more particularly in Flanders, in the province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Zottegem pr ...

, Belgium. The crypt contains the remains of

Lamoral, Count of Egmont Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (18 November 1522 – 5 June 1568) was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national up ...

and his wife Sabina of Bavaria.

History

Around 1563, Lamoral had a burial crypt built underneath the Church of Zottegem for his grandfather and mother. The remains of Lamoral himself were added to that crypt in 1568 after he was beheaded on Brussels' Grand-Place/Grote Markt. His wife Sabina of Bavaria († 1578) and his sons Philip († 1590) and Charles († 1620) were also buried there. The crypt was used until the 17th century after which it fell into oblivion. In 1804, the graves were rediscovered by chance. They were transferred in 1857 to a newly built crypt, which was restored in 1952. The leaden coffins were enveloped in bronze sarcophagi. In 1954, the remains underwent a conservation treatment. In 2016, a glass dome was added to the crypt. In 2017, new genetic research brought to the fore that Egmont's remains had not been damaged by the Spaniards directly after his beheading, but many centuries later.De neus van Egmont. In:''80 jaar oorlog''. 2018 Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum/NTR/Atlas Contact, pp.104-107

Images

Egmontcrypte_Zottegem_04.jpg, Glass dome of Egmont's crypt Egmontcrypte_Zottegem_10.jpg, Leaden heart-shaped boxes for the hearts of Lamoral, Philip and Charles Egmontcrypte_Zottegem_13.jpg, Remains of Lamoral and Sabine Egmontcrypte_Zottegem_16.jpg, Entrance door to Egmont's crypt Loden_kistje_hart_Lamoraal_van_Egmont_04.jpg, Leaden heart-shaped box for Lamoral's heart Loden plaat graf Lamoraal van Egmont 1804 01.jpg, Leaden plaque (rediscovery of the crypt in 1804) Grafplaat Sabina van Beieren.jpg, Copper burial plaque of Sabina Duchess of Bavaria (1578)

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* Lamarcq, D., ''Van crypte tot paviljoen. De gebeenten van Lamoraal tentoongesteld''. In: Zottegems Genootschap voor Geschiedenis en Oudheidkunde. Handelingen XVIII (deel 2) Themanummer Graaf Lamoraal van Egmont (1522-1586), 2017, (pp. 619–636) * Lamarcq, D., ''De Egmontgrafkelder''. Officiële website stad Zottegem. * De neus van Egmont. In: ''80 jaar oorlog''. Rijksmuseum/NTR/Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2018, (pp. 104–107). * Van Rode, O., ''Plechtige inhuldiging van een nieuwe grafkelder voor Lamoraal, graaf van Egmont in de crypte van de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk te Zottegem, oktober 1951-oktober 1954: een reconstructie aan de hand van eigentijdse getuigenissen in kranten en tijdschriften'', Handelingen XIII, Zottegems Genootschap voor Geschiedenis en Oudheidkunde, 2007, pag. 37–60. Zottegem Tourist attractions in Belgium