Empel, Netherlands 4.32

Empel is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch.Empel was part of the municipality of Empel en Meerwijk until 1971, when the entire municipality was absorbed by that of 's-Hertogenbosch.Points of interestEmpel was the ancient site of a temple to Hercules Magusanus. This was the Latin name of the supreme god of the Batavians. Stone votives and broken weapons as symbolic offerings are at the location. Roman ruins are in the region.Battle of EmpelThe Battle of Empel or Miracle of Empel (Milagro de Empel in Spanish) was a battle fought on December 7 and December 8, 1585, as part of the Eighty Years' War, in which a Spanish army miraculously escaped destruction after discovering a hidden Dutch Catholic image of the Immaculate Conception.The Spanish army was in a desperate situation, under siege by the Dutch Protestant navy and surrounded by the rivers. The night following the discovery of the image, the rivers froze and the Spanish army ran over the frozen rivers escaping from the siege, destroying or capturing all the ships in the Dutch fleet stuck in the ice, and overrunning the Dutch army camp. In Spain, the battle is still remembered as it is believed that the Spanish army was saved due to intervention of Mary of the Immaculate Conception. In memory of the battle, the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the Spanish infantry.