Also known as: New Church Built: 1383-1510 Renovated: 1923-1927 Type: Holy Place Maximum Height: 357 feet / 109 meters Location: Markt, Delft, The Netherlands
Building Rating 80% of readers like the New Church (Delft).
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D escription from the City of Delft web site:
"Second parish church of Delft. Built between 1383 and 1510. Tower built between 1396 and 1496. Present spire dates from 1875. The memorial monument (1614-1622) of Prince William of Orange. At present Dutch Reformed Church. In 1381 a small wooden provisional church was built as the second parish church of Delft. Two years later the building of the transept and a simple choir of a large brickwork church east of the wooden building started. This part was finished about 1390. The building of a tower west of the provisional church was started in 1390. The lower part of that tower was finished in 1412, following on the builders could start with the adjoining aisles. These activities were finished in 1435. Initially the church was dedicated to the St.- Mary but since 1404 to St.-Ursula. Between 1453 and 1465 the choir was extended with an ambulatory, after which the choir itself was replaced by a higher one and put into use in 1476. About 1485 the southern aisle was prolonged along the tower and completed with a baptistery. Other still existing additions dating from that period are the sacristy with a library on the first floor, a hermitage against the back of the choir (outside) and a Lady Chapel against the north front of the northern transept. In imitation of the Oude Kerk, the Nieuwe Kerk was to be extended according to a design of Anthonis Keldermans, but only part of the foundations were laid. The church burnt down in 1536 during the great fire. After the fire the roofs were mended according to a much simpler design. The iconoclastic fury put an end to all building activities in 1566. The first stone for this tower was laid in 1396. The mainly brickwork base on a square ground plan was finished in 1412, after which the building activities were removed to the church. It was not before 1430 that the building activities of the tower were carried on. The first octagon was made of ´ledesteen´, a white Belgian stone. In 1440 -1441 they build square turrets around this octagon, effecting a smooth change of substructure into upperstructure, and thus a handsomely silhouetted tower. The first octagon was finished in 1447. In 1484 the decision fell to continue the building of the tower with a second octagon. A Belgian stone-cutter was invited to deliver the stone, this time a light yellow Bentheimer sandstone. Two years later the stone was delivered ready to use. However, when the churchwardens saw the enormous amount of stone, they feared that the tower would collapse under the weight of a second octagon. The stone was left for eight years. Only in 1494 they dared to start the building and one year later the second octagon was finished. In 1496 the tower was crowned with a wooden apple-shaped spire. At present the second octagon is discoloured into greyish black, but this is an unintended effect. In that time they did not know that in the course of time, the Bentheimer sandstone was due to get weather-beaten and discoulered. In 1536 the spire was struck by lightning and burnt down during the heavy thunderstorm, that also brought about the great fire. The new spire was modest and only 22 metres high. This spire was also lost in a fire in 1872. The present spire is 40 metres high and was erected in 1875. Unlike the former wooden spires, this one has an iron construction. The intention was to build a tower that surmounted the Domtoren in Utrecht, and thus be the highest in the Netherlands. Till almost a century after, this was the case indeed, untill the Domtoren was fitted with a new and higher spire. Between 1923-1925 and between 1931-1937 the church was thoroughly restored. The stained glass windows were installed between 1927-1936. Although the interior had always been plastered, with this restoration the choise fell on a non-plastered interior. After the restoration of the church the repairs on the tower were finished in 1950. Because of, for instance pollution (acid rain), the upper part of the tower needed to be taken into restoration again a few decennia later. This took place in 1987. Monument and crypt of the Royal Family The church is also noteworthy because of the crypt of the Dutch Royal Family, though it is not open for the public. Between 1614 and 1622 a monument to the memory of Prince William of Orange (founder of the State of the Netherlands) was built in the choir, according to the design of Hendrick de Keyser. In the ambulatory we find a a few more gravestones and monuments."
