Letters from the Segovia Woods
Encyclopedia
The Letters from the Segovia Woods denote two sets of letters Philip II of Spain
sent to his Regent Margaret of Parma
, rejecting requests to abolish the ordinances outlawing heresy
in the Habsburg Netherlands
on 17 and 20 October, 1565, and 31 July, 1566. His intransigence in this matter contributed to the outbreak of the Eighty Years' war.
with great vigor. However, this policy met with mounting opposition in the Netherlands. In 1565 the Council of State therefore sent its prominent member, Lamoral, Count of Egmont
to the Spanish court to personally plead for a relaxation of these policies. He did not receive an immediate answer.
At the time Philip divided his time between several places in Spain (the construction of El Escorial
had only recently been started). One of his favorite houses was La Casa del Bosque de Segovia, a mansion in the woods near Segovia
. Of course, his voluminous correspondence used this place in the dateline when he sojourned there. There are therefore thousands of "letters from the Segovia woods" extant, but the two sets concerning the religious-policy question he sent subsequent to Egmont's visit from this place have become associated with their dateline in Dutch and English historiography.
and the treatment of certain Anabaptists who had been convicted and sentenced, but for whom she requested mercy. In all cases he rejected her requests. There is a certain annoyed undertone in these letters as he refers to earlier letters, in which, he thought, he had made his orders already quite clear.
The letters did little to calm down the unrest in the Netherlands. In December, 1565 a group of nobles started a political movement, the Compromise of Nobles
, in direct reaction to the letters. Also, on January 24, 1566, one of the leading members of the Council of State, the Prince of Orange
, expressed his discontent with Philip's religious policies and threatened to resign. Matters came to a head when 300 members of the Compromise presented a petition to Margaret on April 5, 1566, again asking for relaxation of the ordinances against heresy.
Margaret then sent two members of the Council of State, the Marquis of Bergen and the Baron de Montigny, brother of the Count of Hoorn
, to Spain with the petition to plead for a positive response. However, after having listened to these gentlemen, Philip indicated in a second set of letters from the Segovia Woods, dated 31 July, 1566, that he saw no reason to relent. He also explicitly prohibited the convocation of the States-General of the Netherlands
as Margaret had advised.
. These insurrections motivated Philip to send over an army under the command of the Duke of Alba
in 1567. His repressive measures ignited the Dutch Revolt
.
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
sent to his Regent Margaret of Parma
Margaret of Parma
Margaret, Duchess of Parma , Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582, was the illegitimate daughter of Charles V and Johanna Maria van der Gheynst...
, rejecting requests to abolish the ordinances outlawing heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
in the Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
on 17 and 20 October, 1565, and 31 July, 1566. His intransigence in this matter contributed to the outbreak of the Eighty Years' war.
Background
Philip had continued the policy of repression of heretics instituted by his father, Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
with great vigor. However, this policy met with mounting opposition in the Netherlands. In 1565 the Council of State therefore sent its prominent member, Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.The Count of Egmont headed one of the...
to the Spanish court to personally plead for a relaxation of these policies. He did not receive an immediate answer.
At the time Philip divided his time between several places in Spain (the construction of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
had only recently been started). One of his favorite houses was La Casa del Bosque de Segovia, a mansion in the woods near Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
. Of course, his voluminous correspondence used this place in the dateline when he sojourned there. There are therefore thousands of "letters from the Segovia woods" extant, but the two sets concerning the religious-policy question he sent subsequent to Egmont's visit from this place have become associated with their dateline in Dutch and English historiography.
Developments in 1565 and 1566
The two letters from October, 1565, which arrived in Brussels at the beginning of November, were actually replies to Margaret's letters from July, 1565, in which she made a number of requests concerning the relaxation of the InquisitionInquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
and the treatment of certain Anabaptists who had been convicted and sentenced, but for whom she requested mercy. In all cases he rejected her requests. There is a certain annoyed undertone in these letters as he refers to earlier letters, in which, he thought, he had made his orders already quite clear.
The letters did little to calm down the unrest in the Netherlands. In December, 1565 a group of nobles started a political movement, the Compromise of Nobles
Compromise of Nobles
The Compromise'of Nobles was a covenant of members of the lesser nobility in the Habsburg Netherlands who came together to submit a petition to the Regent Margaret of Parma on 5 April 1566, with the objective of obtaining a moderation of the placards against heresy in the Netherlands...
, in direct reaction to the letters. Also, on January 24, 1566, one of the leading members of the Council of State, the Prince of Orange
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
, expressed his discontent with Philip's religious policies and threatened to resign. Matters came to a head when 300 members of the Compromise presented a petition to Margaret on April 5, 1566, again asking for relaxation of the ordinances against heresy.
Margaret then sent two members of the Council of State, the Marquis of Bergen and the Baron de Montigny, brother of the Count of Hoorn
Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
Philip de Montmorency was also known as Count of Horn or Hoorne or Hoorn.-Biography:De Montmorency was born, between 1518 and 1526, possibly at the Ooidonk Castle, as the son of Jozef van Montmorency, Count of Nevele and Anna van Egmont...
, to Spain with the petition to plead for a positive response. However, after having listened to these gentlemen, Philip indicated in a second set of letters from the Segovia Woods, dated 31 July, 1566, that he saw no reason to relent. He also explicitly prohibited the convocation of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
as Margaret had advised.
Aftermath
While awaiting Philip's reply to the petition, the government in Brussels had already suspended the enforcement of the ordinances. This had emboldened the Calvinists in the country (many of whom returned from exile because of the milder political climate) and they started to organize open-air religious meetings which attracted large crowds. Though initially peaceful, these eventually led to social unrest when Philip's reply had been received. In August and September, a wave of riotous attacks on churches, destoying religious art and fittings, the so-called Iconoclastic Fury or went over much of the country and Calvinists grabbed power in a few cities, like ValenciennesValenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
. These insurrections motivated Philip to send over an army under the command of the Duke of Alba
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands , nicknamed "the Iron Duke" in the Low Countries because of his harsh and cruel rule there and his role in the execution of his political opponents and the massacre of several...
in 1567. His repressive measures ignited the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
.