Gunterstein Castle (Dutch: ''Gunterstein'') is a castle in
Breukelen
Breukelen () is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is situated to the north west of Utrecht, along the river Vecht and close to the lakes of the Loosdrechtse Plassen, an area of natural and tourist ...
, on the river Vecht, that was the former home of the rich Dutch widow Magdalena Poulle (1626–1699). She bought the property and associated title after the former castle and stronghold was destroyed by the French in the Disaster Year '' Rampjaar'' 1672.
History
The castle was built in 1681 on the foundations of an earlier castle, by the architect
Adriaan Dortsman
Adriaan Dortsman (1635, Vlissingen – 1682, Amsterdam), was a Dutch Golden Age architect of Amsterdam.
Biography
According to the RKD he moved to Amsterdam in 1667 and is known for drawings and architectural designs.new Lutheran church in Amsterdam.Dutch Rijksmonument site 508234 The castle grounds had been home to two previous constructions; a 14th-century castle named after Gysbrecht Gunter was destroyed in 1511. After being rebuilt by Gunter descendants, it changed hands several times and belonged for a short time to Johan van Oldenbarnevelt until he was beheaded in 1619. That building was later burned by the French in 1672 along with nearby Castle Nijenrode.
The wealthy Amsterdam widow Magdalena Poulle bought the castle in 1680 and called herself Lady Gunterstein from then onwards. It is her family shield which is displayed above the windows. She planned to leave the house to her nephew Pieter and had him lay the first stone at age three. Her portrait was made also showing her nephew holding Dortsman's groundplan by the Amsterdam portrait painter
David van der Plas
David van der Plas (11 December 1647 – 18 May 1704), was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter.
Biography
David van der Plas became famous as a portrait painter, and his most illustrious patron was Cornelis Tromp.< ...
, himself the son-in-law of the architect. This portrait still hangs above the mantelpiece where it was installed in 1683.
Magdalena Poulle became an avid gardener and amateur botanist commissioning a book of etchings called ''Veues de Gunterstein'' (Views of Gunterstein), dedicated to ''Madame de Gunterstein et de Thienhoven''. This book contains one of the earliest pictures of a Dutch orangerie with hothouses, and was highly influential on later
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
s and wealthy garden owners such as
Agnes Block
Agnes, or Agneta Block (29 October 1629, Emmerich am Rhein – 20 April 1704, Amsterdam) was a Dutch Mennonite art collector and horticulturalist. She is most remembered as the compiler of an album of flower and insect paintings.
Life
Agneta Bl ...
and
George Clifford III
George Clifford III (7 January 1685, Amsterdam – 10 April 1760, Heemstede) was a wealthy Dutch banker and one of the directors of the Dutch East India Company. He is known for his keen interest in plants and gardens.
His summer estate Harteka ...
, who also sought to grow unusual plants and record them in albums.
Today, Gunterstein is still home to descendants of Magdalena Poulle. The surrounding park which is open to the public, is protected as a
rijksmonument
A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...
, as well as all of the older structures around it.RM numbers 508234-508258
Gallery
File:David van der Plas - Magdalena Poulle with Nephew Pieter 1683.jpg, David van der Plas: Magdalena Poulle with her nephew Pieter in 1683, portraits with plans of the garden. Van der Plas was a son-in-law of the architect of Gunterstein Adriaan Dortsman.
File:Veues de Gunterstein - titlepage Joseph Mulder.jpg,
Joseph Mulder
Joseph Mulder (1658, Amsterdam – 1742, Amsterdam), was a Dutch Golden Age printmaker, known as a "renowned engraver".
An engraving by Mulder illustrates the title page of the 1700 edition, published in Leiden, of ''Dialogue Concerning the ...
: "Veues de Gunterstein", book title page, ca. 1690
File:Gunterstein orangerie ca 1695.png, Joseph Mulder and De Lespine: Gunterstein orangerie, etching, ca. 1695
File:Gunterstein.jpg, Gunterstein in 2007
See also
*
List of castles in the Netherlands
This is a list of castles in the Netherlands per province.
Overview of castles in the Netherlands
Drenthe
See also ''List of havezates in Drenthe''
Flevoland
Friesland
See ''List of stins in Friesland''
Gelderland
Groningen
See ''List o ...
*
Buitenplaats
A buitenplaats (literally "outside place") was a summer residence for rich townspeople in the Netherlands. During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, many traders and city administrators in Dutch towns became very wealthy. Many of them bough ...
References
External links
{{commons category, Gunterstein, Gunterstein Castle
Gunterstein on the
Stichtse Vecht
Stichtse Vecht is a municipality of the Netherlands and lies in the northwestern part of the province of Utrecht.
The municipality has about 63,000 inhabitants and covers an area of about 107 km² (41 sq mi).
Stichtse Vecht has been newly ...