Renesse () is a village in the
Dutch province of
Zeeland
Zeeland (; ), historically known in English by the Endonym and exonym, exonym Zealand, is the westernmost and least populous province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the southwest of the country, borders North Brabant to the east ...
. It is a part of the municipality of
Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 28 km west of
Hellevoetsluis
Hellevoetsluis () is a town and former municipality in the west of Netherlands. It is located in Voorne-Putten, South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of of which was water and it included the population centres of Nieuw-Helvoe ...
.
Renesse is a popular tourist resort with
zero-fare
Free public transport, often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is public transport which is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local governme ...
bus services in the area (in summer only).
History
The village was first mentioned in 1244 as Rietnesse, and is a combination of
headland
A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...
and
reed. Renesse is a circular church village near the dunes. In 1229,
Floris V, Count of Holland donated the land to Costijn van Zierikzee who built a castle near the village.
was built in 1229, but destroyed in 1297. Before 1339, a new smaller castle was built, but became derelict. The gate house of around 1400 was converted in a summer residence in 1513 which became the basis of the current castle. It was severely damaged during the
North Sea flood of 1953. Between 1958 and 1960, it was restored and the walls around the castle were rebuilt with three towers.
The Dutch Reformed church is a single-aisled church. The tower dates from the early 15th century and has never been completed. The choir was rebuilt in 1916 and remnants of the predecessor of around 1300 were discovered. In 1924, a school was attached to the church, but it was demolished in 1976.
At the end of 1944, ten members of the
Dutch Resistance
The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...
stole and destroyed the
resident registration of Renesse. They were supposed to be picked up by an English patrol boat, but were arrested on the beach. The ten men were publicly hanged. The villagers and their family members were forced to witness the hanging.
Renesse was home to 470 people in 1840.
It was a separate municipality until 1961, when it was merged with
Westerschouwen.
After World War II, Renesse develop into a tourist site with many holiday homes and hotels.
In 1997, Renesse became part of the municipality of
Schouwen-Duiveland.
Van Renesse Family
In the 13th century the Van Renesse family built the first version of
Moermond Castle.
*
John III, Lord of Renesse
*
René de Renesse, 1st Count of Warfusée
* The
Castle of Renesse is located in the village of
Oostmalle (
Malle), in the
Campine
The Campine () or Kempen () is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large n ...
region of the province of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
(
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, Belgium)
Gallery
Image:Renesse Jacobus south.jpg, Renesse, church: Jacobuskerk
Image:Renesse seaside 2.jpg, Renesse, beach
File:Korte Reke 9, Renesse RM38826 (2).jpg, Restaurant in Renesse
File:Renesse-04-Ferienhaus im Schnee-1984-gje.jpg, Holiday home in the snow
References
External links
Renesse Official Website
{{Authority control
Schouwen-Duiveland
History of Schouwen-Duiveland
Populated places in Zeeland
Former municipalities of Zeeland
Seaside resorts in the Netherlands
Free public transport