Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.
Showing posts with label Netherlands.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands.. Show all posts

Saturday 8 March 2014

Basilica Of Saint Nicholas, Amsterdam, Netherlands.


Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
By: joe daniel price.
Collection: Flickr.
Courtesy: Getty Images.




Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Photo: 5 December 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: Christoph Braun.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Basilica of Saint Nicholas (or Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek, in Dutch) is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the city's major Catholic Church.

Officially, the Church was called Saint Nicholas-inside-the-Walls, i.e. the oldest part of the Amsterdam defence works. The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912), designed the Church, basing himself on a combination of several revival styles, of which Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance are the most prominent models.


File:Amsterdam - Voorburgwal en Nicolaaskerk.jpg

English: Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nederlands: Amsterdam - Voorburgwal en Nicolaaskerk.
Date: Between 1890 and 1905.
Source: Original image: Photochrom print (color photo lithograph).
Reproduction number: LC-DIG-ppmsc-05775 from Library of Congress,
Reproduction by Photoglob AG, Zürich, Switzerland
or Detroit Publishing Company, Detroit, Michigan.
Author: Unknown.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The facade is crowned by two Towers, with a Rose Window in between. The centre of this window is formed by a bas relief depicting Christ and the four Evangelists, made in the Van den Bossche and Crevels workshop in 1886. A sculpture of the Patron Saint of both the Church and the city of Amsterdam was placed in a niche in the upper section of the gable top.


File:Flag of Amsterdam.svg

English: Flag of Amsterdam.
The official city motto is Valor, Resolution, and Mercy. 
The three X's, saltires (St. Andrew's crosses), are taken to represent these
even though the X's are older than the motto.
A popular tradition also links the X's to the
three threats to the city: Water, Fire and Pestilence.
Deutsch: Flagge von Amsterdam.
Polski: Flaga Amsterdamu.
Plattdüütsch: Flagg vun Amsterdam.
Nederlands: Vlag van Amsterdam.
Date: 24 January 2006.
Author: This work has been released into the public domain 
by its author, reisio. This applies worldwide.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The well-known sculptor, Bart van Hove (1850-1914), made the sculpture in 1886. The Crossing is articulated by a large Octagonal Tower, with a Baroque Dome and Lantern and crowned by a Cross. The basis of the ground-plan is the scheme of the classic Three-Aisled Cross-Basilica, i.e. a Nave, two Aisles and a single Transept. The Choir is located, as is usual, at the end of the Nave. In the corners, formed by the Transept and the Nave, two Chapels are located, traditionally devoted to Mary and Joseph.


File:Flickr - NewsPhoto! - St. Nicolaaskerk, Amsterdam.jpg

English: Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nederlands: 'Kathedraal aan het IJ'.
The Sint Nicolaaskerk (Church of Saint Nicholas)
is located right across the Amsterdam Central Station.
It was built between 1884 and 1887.
Photo: 14 November 2009.
from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Basilica has a collection of religious murals. Above the High Altar, is the Crown of Maximilian I, which is a symbol seen throughout Amsterdam.


File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Sint Nicolaaskerk, Amsterdam, North Holland, the Netherlands, ca. 1895.jpg

Photochrom print by Photoglob Zürich, between 1890 and 1900.
This picture is in the public domain.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Inside the newly renovated Church, a 19th-Century Sauer Organ can be found, on which concerts are given and Mass is accompanied.


File:Amsterdam St. Nicolaas Orgel.jpg

English: The Organ in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, 
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Deutsch: Orgel in Amsterdam, St. Nicolaas.
Photo: 24 June 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Hans-Jörg Gemeinholzer.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:WLM - Minke Wagenaar - Sint Nicolaaskerk 06.jpg

English: Interior of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, 
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nederlands: De Sint Nicolaaskerk is de derde Amsterdamse kerk op rij die werd gewijd aan de patroonheilige van de stad. Sint Nicolaas was schutsheilige van de zeevaarders en werd daarom ook vaak als patroonheilige van havensteden gekozen. Het ontwerp van de kerk is van architect A.C. Bleys; de plechtige wijding volgde op 7 februari 1887. Als rooms-katholieke hoofdkerk van Amsterdam moest het gebouw een bijzondere allure uitstralen. Bleys gaf de kerk een neobarok uiterlijk met twee torens en hoge koepel als blikvangers. De Nicolaaskerk is gebouwd als driebeukige kruisbasiliek met Korinthische zuilen. Ook het interieur doet barok aan en is voor Nederlandse maatstaven ongewoon rijk. Het hoogaltaar is uitgevoerd in verschil- lende kostbare marmersoorten en voorzien van beeld- houwwerk en bronzen reliëfs. De schilderingen in het interieur zijn het werk van J. Dunselman, die er met onderbrekingen dertig jaar aan heeft gewerkt. 
In 1997-2000 werd de kerk gerestaureerd.
Photo: 11 September 2010.
Author: Minke Wagenaa. from Amsterdam, NL.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:WLM - Minke Wagenaar - Sint Nicolaaskerk 02.jpg

High Altar,
Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Photo: 11 September 2010.
Author: Minke Wagenaa
from Amsterdam, NL.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the 125th year of its existence, Saint Nicholas Church was elevated to Minor Basilica status. That happened on 8 December 2012 during a celebration of Solemn Vespers, attended by ecclesiastical and secular authorities. Mgr. A. Dupuy, Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands, read the document which announced the decision.


File:Sint-Nicolaaskerk interieur Amsterdam.jpg

English: Basilica of Saint Nicholas,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nederlands: Sint-Nicolaaskerk Amsterdam.
Photo: 29 August 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Gouwenaar.
(Wikimedia Commons)


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