In 1622-1627, the village of Zandvliet was transformed by the Spanish general Spinola into a fortification with seven bulwarks to defend Antwerp and as a base for striking north. Nearby were the States forts of Lillo and Frederik-Hendrik and the fortified town of Bergen-Op-Zoom. The works took six years to complete and gave the village the impression of a fortified town. The church at Zandvliet was destroyed several times during the States wars against Spain. In 1648, it was rebuilt by the abbot of Sint-Michiels of Antwerp.
At the start of the eighteenth century, the French definitively ousted the Spaniards from Zandvliet and the stronghold was razed. In the street pattern of Zandvliet, we can still see most of the outlines of the former fortification: Noordvest and Zuidvest, Conterscherp and Kattewal.
