The city of Oudenaarde which sits prettily on the river Skalda in the East Flanders region of Belgium, is commonly known as the pearl of the Flemish Ardennes. It has a history dating back to the 11th century, boasts a 16th century Unesco World Heritage List town hall and, for those interested in cycling, it hosts the finish of the annual Tour of Flanders. Oudenaarde has several other claims to fame including – possibly uniquely – a pair of spectacles on its coat of arms.
Oudenaarde can trace its history back to the 11th century when Baldwin IV, known as ‘the Bearded’, Count of Flanders, built a fortress on the site. The town grew up around it but the fortress itself was destroyed in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. From the 14th century onwards Oudenaarde became prosperous through the establishment of a weaving industry, its high point being in the 16th century when the town became particularly noted for its fine quality tapestries.
A notable example was the series of three great tapestries depicting scenes from the life of Alexander the Great. By now more than half the population of Oudenaarde worked in the industry. So important was the quality and provenance of the town’s products that a general ordinance of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (who we shall meet again shortly) was enacted on May 16, 1554. This made it compulsory to weave the trademark of the town and the registered label of the weaver into the border of the tapestry in order to prove conclusively the origin of the piece.
As a symbol of the wealth accrued by the weaving industry, and the silversmithing for which it was also becoming noted, a spectacular town hall was built; begun in 1526, it was completed just 11 years later and still dominates the town square. From the latter half of the 16th century there were increasingly bitter revolts by Protestant factions against the region’s Spanish Catholic rulers. These led to an inevitable decline in the town’s fortunes as many of Oudenaarde’s artisans and traders fled abroad to safer havens. Despite turbulent times including capture and recapture by the French, and a key battle of the Spanish War of Succession known as the Battle of Oudenaarde taking place on its doorstep, weaving continued there until the 18th century. But the glory days of the town were gone.
But what of those spectacles? Here we must return to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, a figure who inspired many a legend. He was born in Ghent, Flanders, in 1500, to Philip I (‘The Handsome’) and Joanna (‘The Mad’) of Castile. He became ruler of what was to become known as the Spanish Netherlands in 1506, succeeding also to rule Castile and Aragon in 1516 as Charles I, and so often acknowledged as being the first King of Spain. His aunt was Catherine of Aragon, whose daughter, Mary I of England, married Charles’ son, Philip. He was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519 (the last to be crowned by the Pope) and reigned until his abdication in 1556, two years before his death. Thanks to his cosmopolitan background he was a fluent speaker of Dutch, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
One of the best-known stories about Charles’ encounters with ordinary folk concerns the small municipality of Olen. There are different variants of the (almost certainly fictitious) tale, which recounts Charles’ visit to the local inn, possibly after a hunting trip. He was known to prefer beer to wine so, in an effort to appear refined, the innkeeper served the emperor his beer in a mug with a handle.
Unfortunately the innkeeper presented the mug while holding the handle so Charles had difficulty in taking hold of it. The emperor suggested that next time he visited the innkeeper should use a mug with two handles. This he did, but again caused embarrassment because he presented the mug to the emperor while holding both handles. On a third visit to the inn, the innkeeper brought the emperor’s beer in a three-handled mug but, stupidly, held it by two handles with the third pointing toward himself. The story is commemorated by a sculpture in the centre of Olen of three large copper mug fountains, one mug each having one, two and three handles.
The Oudenaarde coat of arms featuring a pair of spectacles
The legend of Oudennarde was recounted recently by resident and second-generation optician, Jan Van Ommeslaeghe, in a presentation he gave at the annual general meeting of the Ophthalmic Antiques International Collectors Club (OAICC), held at the College of Optometrists, the AGM’s regular venue. The protagonist in this tale is Hanske, or Little Hans the Warrior as he is sometimes known.
Hanske was the sentry at the city gate who was supposed to keep watch for the emperor who was due to visit Oudenaarde. Poor Hanske fell asleep (some versions of the story say it was because he was drunk) at just the time the emperor was making his approach to the town. As there was no signal to open the city gates from Hanske, Charles found on his arrival that the gates were locked and his entry barred. Charles ordered that, as a punishment for the insult, the town must add to its coat of arms either a nightcap (as a reminder that the sentry was asleep on duty) or a pair of spectacles (because the citizens did not see the emperor arriving). The Oudenaarders chose the latter, which still sit atop the town’s arms and have become the defining symbol of the city. The spectacles can be seen on the famous Oudenaarde tapestries and silver and are ubiquitous on municipal property. As for Hanske, he is remembered by a statue right at the top of the city’s imposing town hall.
Regardless of the veracity of this legend, Charles V certainly did visit Oudenaarde on at least one occasion as a young man, while besieging Tournai in 1521, during a battle of the Italian War of 1521-26. A local bard, Mathijs de Casteleyn, even commemorated his stay in a series of poems, the Baladen van Doornijcke. While staying in the castle of Oudenaarde’s governor, Charles de Lalaing, the bachelor emperor took a liking to one of de Lalaing’s chambermaids, Johanna van de Gheynst.
Nine months later Johanna gave birth to a daughter, Margaret, but it was not until seven years later that Charles recognised her as his own. Her destiny was to be her father’s geopolitical pawn, first through marriage into the Pope’s family and later via a second marriage to the Duke of Parma; as Margaret of Parma she became Regent of the Netherlands (1559-67). The crown on Oudenaarde’s coat of arms (on top of which sit the spectacles) is said to commemorate Charles’ stay in the town, although some sources point out that there have been different crowns on the arms at various times.
Inspired by his home town’s special relationship with spectacles, Jan Van Ommeslaeghe recently curated a pop-up museum at his practice. It was based around his father’s collection together with some items kindly lent by an OAICC member. When another OAICC member visited Van Ommeslaeghe’s museum he found himself persuaded to join the club – hence his presence at its AGM. A short account of Van Ommeslaeghe’s presentation to the OAICC can be seen in the Club’s quarterly journal, Ophthalmic Antiques (OA 148, July 2019, p7) [declaration of interest: the author is the editor of OA].
The auction that traditionally follows the formal AGM business also proved an interesting source for acquisitions that might help Van Ommeslaeghe to realise one day his ambition of setting up a permanent museum of spectacles in Oudenaarde, which would be the first of its kind in Belgium.
If Van Ommeslaeghe’s dream of a permanent museum in Oudenaarde does ever come to fruition the ideal toast to its success would have to be ‘Charles Quint’ or ‘Gouden Carolus’ or one of the other many beers brewed in commemoration of Charles V’s love of beer. Best of all would be ‘Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor’ brewed once a year by the Het Anker brewery in Mechelen on the anniversary of Charles’ birthday. No doubt Hanske would look down approvingly from his perch at the top of the town hall too.