Delft

The city dates from the 13th century. It received its charter in 1246.
The association of the House of Orange with Delft began when William of Orange took up residence there in 1562. William was the leader at the time in the struggle against the Spanish, 'the Eighty Years' War. Delft was one of the leading cities of Holland and was equipped with the necessary city walls to serve as a headquarters. When William was shot to death in 1584 by Balthazar Gerards in the hall of the Prinsenhof, the family's traditional burial place in Breda was in the hands of the Spanish. He was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), starting a tradition for the House of Orange that has continued to the present day.
The city centre retains many old and historical buildings, and many streets have canals in the centre. Historical buildings include: * Oude Kerk (Old Church), * Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), * The Prinsenhof (Princes' Court), now a museum.
* The City Hall, * The Oostpoort (Eastern gate), built around 1400. This is the only remaining gate of the old city walls. *The Gemeenlandshuis or Huyterhuis, built in 1505, which houses the regional water authority Delfland since 1645.
Delft is well known for the Delft pottery ceramic products which were styled on the imported Chinese porcelan of the 17th century. The city had an early start in this area since it was a home port of the Dutch East India Company.The painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was born in Delft. Vermeer used Delft streets and home interiors as the subject or background of his paintings. Several other famous painters lived and worked in Delft at that time, such as Pieter de Hoogh, Carel Fabritius and Nicolaes Maes. They all were members of the Delft School. The Delft School is known for its images of domestic life, views of households, church interiors, courtyards, squares and the streets of Delft.