Autographed letter of the Archduke of Austria, Sovereign of the Netherlands Albert VII, 1605

An original and very rare document of the beginning of the XVII century in good collector's condition. Written on one page in Brussels on December 22, 1605, in French. It is addressed to all lieutenants, governors, colonels, captains and military, vice-rectors, mayors, aldermen and other judges, officers and subjects who may have a reason to read it, and is an assignment to Pierre Launay, a rifleman of the Guard, to lead the third of Don Pedro Carmiento (?), who recently arrived from England. In the letter, Albert VII authorizes their free movement: ". . . and a route provided with provisions and other things necessary for their best passage, and instruct the said archer to join the camp commander, captains and officers of the said tercio, so that their people live in good order and military discipline, and make sure that they reasonably they were content with the usual meat that the subjects would eat at home, without asking them or forcing them to go for white bread, wine, fish, lamb, veal and similar drinks and unusual meat," and also advising that the archer notify the governor or the chief official of the province before their arrival. With small remnants of the attached seal. Several extensive small holes in the text and several cracks on the folds, slightly affecting the text and signature. The size of the sheet is 292*360 mm.

The military units of the Spanish army "Tercio", which operated during the reign of the Spanish Habsburgs in the early period, were known for the effectiveness of their battle formations and became a decisive step in the formation of modern European armies.

The guarantee of authenticity, confirmed by the certificate of the International Autograph Auction House in Malaga (Spain). A wonderful interior gift for any manager in the case of a letter in a decorative frame!

Albrecht VII of Austria (German: Albrecht VII. von Österreich; November 15, 1559, Wiener Neustadt — July 13, 1621, Brussels) was a stadtholder of the Spanish Netherlands since 1595 and since 1598 co—ruler of the Spanish provinces of the Netherlands with his wife Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, whom he married on April 18, 1599.

Albrecht was the fifth son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. He was sent to the Spanish court at the age of 11, where his uncle, King Philip II of Spain, supervised his education. Albrecht was destined for a church career. In 1577, at the age of 18, he was promoted to Cardinal deacon. Philip II planned to appoint him Archbishop of Toledo, but the current Archbishop Gaspar de Quiroga lived longer than expected. At this time, Albrecht held secondary posts. After the annexation of Portugal, Albrecht became in 1583 the second viceroy of this country and all its overseas possessions. He was also appointed papal legate and Grand Inquisitor of Portugal. As Viceroy, he took part in equipping the Invincible Armada in 1588 and repulsed the British attack on Lisbon in 1589.

In 1593, he was recalled by Philip II to the Spanish court, in Madrid, to help Philip in the conduct of Spanish state affairs. After the death of Archduke Ernst in 1595, Albrecht was sent to Brussels to take over the affairs of his deceased brother. He arrived in Brussels on February 11, 1596. His first task was to restore the military dominance of Spain in the Lower Countries. Spain faced the combined forces of the Dutch Republic, England and France and suffered blow after blow since 1590. On July 2, 1600, Albrecht was defeated in battle by the stadtholder of the Northern Netherlands, Moritz of Orange.

Albrecht VII is a well—known patron of the arts, patronized the artists of the golden age of Dutch painting, in particular Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder. The great English composer Peter Philips served at his court in Brussels.