Antwerp is Belgium’s second-largest city and one of Europe’s great historic port cities, located along the River Scheldt in the Flemish region of northern Belgium. It rose to prominence during the 15th and 16th centuries as a major center of international trade, banking, and art. During the Renaissance, it became one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, attracting merchants from across the continent and artists such as Peter Paul Rubens. Its prosperity declined after the Dutch Revolt and the closure of the Scheldt River, but the city revived in later centuries through industry and shipping.