Union of Utrecht Union of Utrecht The Union of Utrecht () was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain. The Union of Utrecht is regarded as the foundation of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, which was not recognized by the Spanish Empire until the Twelve Years' Truce in 1609. The treaty was signed on 23 January by Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht (but not all of Utrecht) and the province (but not the city) of Groningen. The treaty was a reaction of the Protestant
Province of Fermo on a hill. It has a historic centre, a large piazza and a cathedral dating from 1227 with a Gothic facade. There are also traces of a Roman amphitheatre nearby. The neighbouring municipality of Porto San Giorgio has a castle dating from 1269, which protected the valley that leads to Fermo. Province of Fermo The province of Fermo () is a province in the Marche region of central Italy. It was established in 2004 and became operational in 2009. Its administrative centre and provincial capital is the city of Fermo (population of 37,995 inhabitants). Other major cities include Porto Sant'Elpidio