After troublesome negotiations, on 12 February 1577 an 'Eternal Edict’ was signed inMarche-en-Famenne, in order to end the struggle between the rebelling States-General inthe Low Countries, and the newly arrived Habsburg governor-general of these regions, Don,Juan de Austria, half-brother to King Philip II. Afterwards, Don Juan travelled to the universitycity of Leuven. Historiography hardly ever deals with this peace treaty, and evenless with its implementation, as the treaty ended less than seven months later when DonJuan occupied the citadel of Namur. This contribution, however, warns for a too teleologicalinterpretation of the failure of the Eternal Edict. It analyzes the sparked pacification processon three levels: first, the mise-en-place by the Habsburg councilors, second, the mise-en-scène by the city of Leuven, and third, the mise-en-intrigue by the citizens and opponentsin the Low Countries. This threefold analysis will show that peacemaking in earlymodern Europe consisted of a complex interplay between words, deeds, and performances.
