Grote kerk (Breda)
Encyclopedia
The Grote kerk or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) is the most important monument of Breda
. The church is built in the gothic
style Brabantse gothiek. The tower of the church is 97 meter tall. The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is usual with gothic cathedrals.
In 1566 the reformation
took place and the church was no longer Catholic. In 1637 the church became Protestant.
The tower spire burned in 1694 and the current spire was built in 1702. From 1843 onwards many restorations took place, the last big restoration took place from 1993 until 1998.
of the Dutch Royal Family. (The current mausoleum is situated at the New Church
in Delft
.) The chapel was built from 1520 until 1525 in order of the duke of Breda (Henry III of Nassau-Breda
. Seventeen family member are buried in the chapel.
When William of Orange
died the plan was to bury him also in the chapel, but Breda was at that time occupied by the Spanish. William of Orange and most of his descendants were buried in the mausoleum
in the New Church in Delft.
s are made by the Italian painter Tommaso di Andrea Vincidor
(a student of Raphael).
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
. The church is built in the gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style Brabantse gothiek. The tower of the church is 97 meter tall. The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is usual with gothic cathedrals.
History
The first notice of a stone church in Breda is from 1269. In 1410 the construction of the church started with the choir. In 1468 the church was ready but in 1457 the old tower collapsed and between 1468 and 1509 the current tower was built. They continued building until 1547 when the church was finished in its current shape.In 1566 the reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
took place and the church was no longer Catholic. In 1637 the church became Protestant.
The tower spire burned in 1694 and the current spire was built in 1702. From 1843 onwards many restorations took place, the last big restoration took place from 1993 until 1998.
Prince chapel
The Prinsenkapel (Prince chapel) north of the choir is the old mausoleumMausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of the Dutch Royal Family. (The current mausoleum is situated at the New Church
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark Protestant church in Delft, Netherlands. The building is located on Delft Market Square , opposite to the City Hall . In 1584, William the Silent was entombed here in a mausoleum designed by Hendrick and Pieter de Keyser. Since then members of the House of Orange-Nassau...
in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
.) The chapel was built from 1520 until 1525 in order of the duke of Breda (Henry III of Nassau-Breda
Henry III of Nassau-Breda
Count Henry III of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz , Lord of Breda, Lord of the Lek, of Diest, etc. was a count of the House of Nassau....
. Seventeen family member are buried in the chapel.
When William of Orange
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
died the plan was to bury him also in the chapel, but Breda was at that time occupied by the Spanish. William of Orange and most of his descendants were buried in the mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
in the New Church in Delft.
Vault paintings
A special part of the chapel are the vault paintings from 1533. The frescoFresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s are made by the Italian painter Tommaso di Andrea Vincidor
Tommaso Vincidor
Tommaso di Andrea Vincidor was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect who trained with Raphael and spent most of his career in the Netherlands. He was also called Tommaso Vincitore, Tommaso da Bologna and Thomas Polonais .He was the pupil of Raphael, whom he helped in the execution of the...
(a student of Raphael).