Architectural type Church tower Height 98 m Architectural style Gothic architecture Phone +31 900 1122364 | Completed 1470 Opened 1470 Province Utrecht Groundbreaking 1444 | |
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Location Amersfoort, Netherlands Designated as NHL Dutch rijksmonument #7940 Address Krankeledenstraat 30, 3811 BN Amersfoort, Netherlands Similar Koppelpoort, Flehite, The Mondriaan House, Sint‑Joriskerk, De Muurhuizen | ||
Zicht op het verleden de onze lieve vrouwetoren in amersfoort
The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren ( [ˌɔnzə ˌlivə ˈvrʌuətoːrə(n)]) ('The Tower of Our Lady') is a church tower in Amersfoort. The Late Gothic building is 98.33 metres (322 ft 7 in) tall and reaches high above the inner city. It is one of the most eye-catching monuments in town and the third highest church tower in the Netherlands. The nickname of the tower is Lange Jan ('Long John'). The church that belonged to the tower was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion in the 18th century.
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Klokkenluiden op de onze lieve vrouwetoren in amersfoort
History
The first chapel on site was constructed on this site in the 14th century. In the 15th century the chapel was replaced by new church with three aisles. When the tower was built is not exactly known. Construction started around 1444 and was finished around 1470. The official documents of the construction were destroyed by the Protestants in 1579 during the reformation and the ensuing iconoclasm. The church and tower were taken over by the Protestants and no longer belonged to the Catholics.
The church also has been used for other purposes than worshiping. It was used as a storage place for ammunition and as laboratory for the manufacturing of shells.
In 1986 some research was done into its history and in the current square one can see the original plan of the church. The spire of the church burned down in 1651 and again in 1804. The tower was restored in 1912–1932, in 1965–1970 and in 1993–1996.
Consoles on the tower
There are twelve consoles on the tower. The new consoles are designed and made by Ton Mooy during the restoration of 1993-1996. They replaced the weathered consoles from around 1930. The new consoles are made from Volvic basaltlava instead of the previous used Tuff stone, for reasons of durability and weather resistance. The basalt lava also mimics the surrounding Bentheimer sandstone in colouring, which could not be used anymore due to health regulations, and is suited for finer carving than tuff stone.
Extra information about the persons depicted on the consoles: