After centuries of absence, Floris de V, Count of Holland and Zeeland, returns to the city where he organized a major knight tournament during Easter 1279. “In the autumn he will be displayed in full knight’s outfit in our De Roos museum”, says Ron Haveman, who has made an authentic replica of Floris de V. Haveman himself has a collection that is not inferior to a real museum: “In my collection of medieval armor and weapons, he is the undisputed masterpiece.”
Medieval armor, at least a hundred old swords, as many historical helmets, cannonballs and miniature cannons. Ron Haveman has turned his home into a living museum. “My hobby and specialty is collecting medieval weapons and armour,” he says. “As a child I was already fascinated by knights and castles. A hobby that got a bit out of hand later in life. In my house you will not find flowers or family photos, but everything about the Middle Ages and of course Count Floris de V.”
Part of his unique collection are six suits of armor that Haveman has in his living room. Harnesses of all time. “It varies from the 13th to the 17th century, they are replicas that have been imitated. The armor of Floris de V is completely authentic and so are the clothes”, says the passionate collector and chairman of the local museum De Roos .
“Floris de V has a special bond with Geertruidenberg. He married Beatrijs here at the age of 15 in 1269, reaffirmed the city’s freedoms in 1275 and, of course, he was the organizer of the great knight tournament in 1279. Hence that replica, which will be placed in our museum as a tribute in the autumn.”
Havenman says that he has been collecting for forty years, his collection that is everywhere in the house is also complemented by many books. “I’ve stopped counting them,” he says. Incidentally, the books all have the same theme: weapons and their use in the Middle Ages.
In those Middle Ages, around 1420, the castle of Geertruidenberg was also shelled. “That happened, among other things, with a simple cannon called serpentine. I also have a replica in my collection, a special piece because it was in fact the first rapid-fire cannon.”
Haveman then puts the finishing touches to Floris de V’s clothing. “On this tunic you can see the coat of arms of Holland from the early Middle Ages, the colors are a red lion on a yellow background. Later this year, Floris de V will be in full regalia to be seen in Museum De Roos†