Rubens family


The Rubens family is a Flemish noble family that lived in Antwerp.

Origin

The origin is believed to be Marie Arnoult Rubbens, died 1350 who lived in Antwerp and was married to Catherine van den Elshoutte. Their son Johm married Marguerite of Catschote, and was the father of three sons: Arnoult II, Josse and Peter I Bartholomaeus I Rubens, born 1501, is recorded as being at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He married Barbara Arents, of noble birth.
Most famous are his grandsons, the painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens, and his brother Philip Rubens, who entered the in service of Cardinal Ascanio Colonna. Many of their descendants married to important noble families. The main family members are buried in the Saint James' church, Antwerp and the former St. Michael's Abbey.
Today the family is extinct in the male line, but has descendants in the other branches: Goubau-Rubens / van Parys-Rubens / de Lunden-Rubens. It is believed that there are more than 10.000 descendants today, most of them members of the Belgian aristocracy. The last direct male-line descendant of the painter was his grandson Alexander Rubens, Lord of Vremdyck, who died in Mechelen.

Genealogy