In 1403, the Nassau dynasty acquired the town of Breda and other lordships in the Low Countries. The
rise of this high-ranking noble family had important consequences for this highly urbanized area. This
project demonstrates how the Nassaus used urban space to legitimate their privileged position and to
represent their noble lineage and lifestyle. To this end, the project focuses on the persons, (urban) institutions and objects related to the Nassaus. Moreover, it uncovers how, in their turn, the towns took advantage of the dynasty’s princely, noble and religious networks in the fifteenth and sixteenth century.