MS C 11: foundation letter of St Anthony’s College, Louvain
Dated 21 September 1606. From Philip III, king of Spain, to Albert, archduke of Austria and co-governor of the Spanish Netherlands with Isabella, his half-sister. Issued from the royal monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial. Original in Spanish.
The support of Albert and Isabella created an environment in which the University of Louvain and its associated colleges prospered. Through the diplomatic negotiations of Florence Conry ofm, the Irish Franciscan College of St Anthony received both moral and financial support from the archdukes.