Finis Bellis



Finis Bellis (Latin for "End of War"; also called by its Spanish or French name, Fin de la Guerra or Fin de la Guerre) was a Dutch rebel ship, designed by Federigo Giambelli, employed during the siege of Antwerp (1585) against the imperial Spanish forces.

The vessel resembled a huge floating fighting platform, featuring a castle in its center manned by a large number of guns and a thousand musketeers. According to some sources, the ship was protected by thick iron plates. The defenders put great faith into the construction to relieve the siege, thus its name. When put into action, however, the vessel proved too heavy for the shallow waterways and soon ran aground, prompting some Spanish to call it mockingly Los gastos perdidos (The lost expenditure).

After one final, unsuccessful sortie, Antwerp was ultimately forced to surrender in August 1585.