Seminarie van de bisschoppen van de provincie 1605 - 1680

Filippo Ferrari’s print depicts the Seminary of the Bishops of the Province and was made around 1600 using engraving. Such seminaries were a crucial element of institutional reform following the Council of Trent, which sought to better regulate the training of priests in the face of the Protestant reformation. The image creates meaning through visual codes and historical associations. In its formal architectural design, the seminary denotes stability and order, while the surrounding wall visually asserts the separation of the institution from the outside world. Religious reformation in the Low Countries was closely tied to the social and political tensions of the time. The seminary stood as a conservative bulwark against perceived social unrest. To understand this image fully, historians often turn to institutional records, theological treatises, and social histories to shed light on the complex interplay between art, religion, and society during this period. These sources help us understand how art reflects and shapes the social structures of its time.