Editing Mechelen (section)

===15th–18th centuries===
[[File:Nicolaas van Eyck - The taking of Mechelen by the Geuzen under the command of Olivier van Tympele and John Norrits on 9 April 1580.jpg|thumb|270px|''Taking of Mechelen by the [[Geuzen]] under the command of Olivier van Tympele and John Norreys on 9 April 1580'' by [[Nicolaas van Eyck]]]]
In the 15th century, the city came under the rule of the [[Duke of Burgundy|Dukes of Burgundy]], marking the beginning of a prosperous period. In 1473, [[Charles, Duke of Burgundy|Charles the Bold]] moved several political bodies to the city, and Mechelen served as the seat of the [[Superior Court]] until the [[French Revolution]]. In 1490, a regular postal service between Mechelen and [[Innsbruck]] was established.

The highly lucrative cloth trade gained Mechelen wealth and power during the [[Late Middle Ages]] and it even became the capital of the [[Low Countries]] (very roughly the [[Netherlands]], Belgium and [[Luxembourg]]) in the first half of the 16th century under [[Archduchess Margaret of Austria]].

During the 16th century, the city's political influence decreased dramatically, due to many governmental institutions being moved to [[Brussels]] in 1530 and after the [[gunpowder magazine]] explosion of 1546. Mechelen compensated for this by increasing prominence in the religious arena: in 1559 it was proclaimed the [[Archdiocese of Mechelen]], seat of religious authority over the territory that would eventually become Belgium. In 1961, "Brussels" was added to the title, resulting in the current [[Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels]].

Mechelen also retained further relevance as the [[Great Council of Mechelen]] remained the supreme court of the territory until the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]. In 1572, during the [[Eighty Years' War]], the city was burned and sacked by the Spanish during the [[Spanish Fury at Mechelen]]. After this pillaging, the city was rebuilt. It was sacked again in 1580 during the [[English Fury at Mechelen]]. It was during this time that the tradition of furniture making, still seen today, began.

In 1718, a major rebellion took place in the city, angry mobs entered the Town Hall. During this time Lord [[Pierre de Romrée]] was mayor of Mechelen. The chaos ended when the Emperor formally requested the President of the [[Great Council of Mechelen|Great Council]] to restore peace. On 18 June, [[Christophe-Ernest, 1st Count of Baillet|Christophe-Ernest de Baillet]] received a full list of the people who led the troubles. The President received the support of multiple regiments that had been sent by imperial command. After negotiations de Baillet restored peace and order in the city.<ref>Noord en Zuid: Maendschrift voor Kunsten, letteren en wetenschappen, Volume 2</ref>
[[File:Mechelen, Belgium ; Ferraris Map.jpg|thumb|Mechelen on the [[Ferraris map]] (around 1775)]]

In 1781, [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor]], ordered the destruction of the city's fortified walls – their former location however continues to be referred to in the Latin terms ''intra muros'' (within the walls) and ''extra muros'' (outside), and meanwhile the site became that of the inner ring road.<ref>
{{cite web
 |title=Map created c.1781 to depict which strategical defence structures had to be broken down 
 |publisher=beeldbankmechelen.be 
 |url=http://www.beeldbankmechelen.be/index.php?option=com_memorix&topid=8&collection_id=1&data_id=2620&photo_id=10663 
 |access-date=2 February 2007 
 |language=nl 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818175029/http://www.beeldbankmechelen.be/index.php?option=com_memorix&topid=8&collection_id=1&data_id=2620&photo_id=10663 
 |archive-date=18 August 2007 
 |df=dmy 
}}</ref>