 Breda had been under Spanish control from 1581 with the garrison of the city being formed by 500 men of infantry and a hundred of cavalry, which consisted of Italian and Spanish troops the majority being from Sicily in the service of Spanish Empire.Eduardo Lanzavecchia, the governor of Breda and Geertruidenberg was supervising the construction of fortifications of both cities as he knew that soon they would be under attack.He was in Geertruidenberg in early 1590 supervising the construction of the defenses there but in his absence, his nephew Paolo Lanzavecchia was acting governor of Breda.