T his is one of the oldest fortresses in Europe. Not much is known about its early years, except that the city was a trading village as far back as 700 a.d., Norse seamen sacked the place after 800 a.d., and the castle was built some time after 900 a.d. as part of the western fortifications of the Holy Roman Empire. The painter Pieter Paul Rubens lived in the castle during his declining years, and it is currently home to the National Scheepvaartmuseum (Belgian National Maritime Museum). The Steen was rebuilt in the 16th century, and you can tell the new stonework from the old stonework by the color. Outside is a cross where condemned convicts would pray before being executed during the centuries when the Steen was used as a prison. The castle actually appears on the city's coat of arms, flanked by a pair of severed hands. This comes from the legend of the Roman soldier Silvius Brabo. He is said to have challenged Druon Antigon, the giant who charged people a toll to cross the Scheldt River not far from the castle Steen. Those who could not pay had their hands cut off and thrown into the river. According to the legend, Silvius Brabo cut off the giant's hands and threw them into the river, thus freeing the bridgehead. You can decide for yourself if this is true, however it is interesting to note that the city's Flemish name "Antwerpen" means "to throw a hand."
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