George or Joris van Egmont (c. 1504, in Egmond – 26 September 1560, in Saint-Amand Abbey) was a Christian religious authority and a bishop, who served as

Bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

from 1535 to 1560.

Biography

George was the son of Jan III van Egmont. In 1526 he became canon and later deacon of the chapter of

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

. Next he became abbot of Saint-Amand Abbey (since destroyed in the wars of the Protestant Reformation and French Revolution) at

Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (; former nl, Sint-Amands-aan-de-Skarpe, link=no) is a commune in the Nord department, northern France. It lies on the river Scarpe, 12 km northwest of Valenciennes. In French, the town people are named ''Amandinois'' ...

, south of

Tournai Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

appointed him bishop of Utrecht in 1534 as a favour to the Dutch nobility. Because he had to be ordained as priest, his consecration as bishop was delayed for over a year. George stayed in Saint-Amand, and had a vicar manage the bishopric for him. He acted unsuccessfully against the rise of Calvinism.

Legacy

The stained glass window he donated with the theme of the baptism of Christ still exists in the Janskerk in

Gouda Gouda may refer to: * Gouda, South Holland, a city in the Netherlands ** Gouda (pottery), style of pottery manufactured in Gouda ** Gouda cheese, type of cheese originally made in and around Gouda ** Gouda railway station * Gouda, Western Cape, a s ...

. This window was designed and made by

Dirk Crabeth Dirk (or Dirck) Pietersz Crabeth (1501–1574) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter, tapestry designer, and mapmaker. He was employed by the Janskerk (Gouda) during the 16th century, where he created eight of the stained glass windows during th ...

in 1557-8. After his death he was buried in Saint-Amand Abbey, but his heart was interred in a cenotaph in

St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht, or Dom Church ( nl, Domkerk), is a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, which was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. It is the country's only pre-Reformation cathedral, ...

. A portrait of George van Egmont from c. 1535, painted by his friend Jan van Scorel, is located in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. {{DEFAULTSORT:Egmond, George Van 1500s births 1559 deaths Bishops of Utrecht 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Holy Roman Empire George People from Egmond