Golden Lance | Site of the Key Handover

Anyone who has ever visited the Prado Museum in Madrid may have seen the painting in real life: The Surrender of Breda (La rendición de Breda) by the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez. But a trip to Spain is not strictly necessary: copies of the work can be found in Breda’s City Hall and in the Stedelijk Museum Breda. The painting depicts the moment when Breda’s military governor, Justinus of Nassau, handed over the key of the city to the Spanish commander Ambrogio Spinola. That key handover is believed to have taken place right here. After eleven months of occupation—the Siege of Breda took place in 1624 and 1625—Van Nassau abandoned his resistance: food supplies were nearly gone and the war chest was empty. It was an important victory for the Spaniards, given Breda’s strategically significant position at the time.

This text has been translated using AI.