Expensive city

In the thirteenth century, people in the Netherlands started building with brick. Every landlord with any importance - including Zweder van Abcoude from the Van Zuylen family (hence the three columns in the city coat of arms of Wijk bij Duurstede) - wants a 'stone house'. In 1270, Zweder had the first brick structure erected on the spot where the old town of Dorestad was located. It concerns the Donjon, a defensible residential tower.

In the middle of the 15th century, the rule of the Van Abcoudes passed to the bishop of Utrecht. And Wijk bij Duurstede, a flourishing settlement in an earlier period, became important again in Europe. This had everything to do with the arrival of the Burgundian bishops. David, a bastard son of Philip the Good, was appointed the new bishop of Utrecht. But he could not go to Utrecht itself because Gijsbrecht van Brederode, elected by the people, resided there as bishop. David therefore settled at Duurstede. But he found the single Donjon tower too poor and in no time had the entire island built into a large mighty castle, with the originally square tower in the middle. At that time, without outbuildings, it had seventy-five rooms.

For many years after 1470, the castle was the centre of power, pageantry and splendour, of grand celebrations and the promotion of art and culture. David spent forty years of his life there. He was succeeded by his half-brother Philips. This bishop died in 1524 and left his estate at Duurstede Castle to his successor. But he was not in favour of accepting the inheritance because he would have to pay the huge debts. The entire estate was auctioned off.

After Emperor Charles V briefly owned the castle, it became the property of the States of Utrecht, who had no money for maintenance. The uninhabited castle quickly fell into disrepair and lost its stones. In 1672, the French destroyed the city centre of Wijk bij Duurstede, but left the abandoned castle untouched.

In 1852, the city of Wijk bij Duurstede acquired ownership of the ruin and a city park was built around it. But on the castle island itself, the towers fell into a worrying state. In 1883 and 1948, restorations of the Burgundian tower took place. In 1986 it was the turn of the old square keep. The restoration was completed at the end of 2013. A lot of masonry has been repaired, new natural stone has been installed and the tower crosses, the stained glass windows and the chimney have been restored. The castle has the status of a national monument and is considered by experts to be one of the most beautiful medieval castles in the Netherlands.

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