(I) The Importance of Amsterdam as a trading and banking centre belongs almost entirely to modem history. (II) The city contains buildings of especial Interest to students of architecture. (III) Starting as a fishing village held by the lords of Amstel from the bishop of Utrecht, it passed into the hands of the counts of Holland in 1296 and received Its first charter four years later. (IV) It shared in the general backwardness of the northern as compared with the southern Netherlands at this period. (V) In fact, it was not till the balance of prosperity began to shift from south to north in the 15 th and 16 th centuries that its fortunes began to look up.