Vianen

Vianen (Dutch pronunciation: [viˈjaːnə(n)]) is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is the only municipality in Utrecht located south of the Lek River. Before 2002 it was part of the province of South Holland. Vianen is bordered by two major motorways leading to Utrecht: the A2 (Amsterdam-Maastricht) on its west, and the A27 (Breda-Almere) just east of the town. Both roads can be notoriously congested near Vianen during peak commute hours.

Population centres

(Population as of February, 2006)

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Vianen, June 2015

The city of Vianen

Vianen received city rights in 1337. Vianen thrived under the counts of Brederode, who acquired its lordship through marriage early in the 15th century. It formed a self-proclaimed sovereign seignory till 1795, including Vianen, Lexmond, Hei- en Boeicop and Meerkerk. During the Middle Ages, as a "free city," Vianen could be a haven for felons and escaped serfs. Of the three castles built during the town's history, Castle Batestein was said to be one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. Its only remnants are a 17th-century brick gate and water-pump. Remnants of the old city wall are visible girdling parts of the old downtown.

Vianen (disambiguation)

Vianen may refer to:

People

Vianen (ship)

Vianen (Dutch pronunciation: [viˈaːnən]), sometimes spelled Vyanen or Viane, was a 17th-century Dutch East Indies Company sailing ship, used to transport cargo between Europe and the Indies. She was shipwrecked but refloated on her first voyage, and shipwrecked and sunk on her second. Built at Amsterdam in 1626, she had a gross tonnage of 400.

First voyage

Vianen departed Texel bound for Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) on 19 March 1627, and arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 16 July. Departing the Cape on 7 August, she arrived at Batavia on 8 October.

On 6 January she departed Batavia as part of a fleet of seven ships bound for Europe under the command of the outgoing Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Pieter de Carpentier. Just as the fleet was leaving, however, a valuable cargo arrived at Batavia from China, so Vianen was held back to be loaded. She was then sent to catch up with the main fleet, but had been loaded too hastily, and had to return to port to have her load balanced by the addition of 5000 ingots of copper.