St. Servatius Basilica Maastricht and RELIGION in an Emergency Box by Karen Nijst

About "St. Servatius Basilica Maastricht and RELIGION in an Emergency Box"

by Karen Nijst

About the artwork

In this drawing I made in May 2021, you can see the Basilica of Saint Servatius on the Vrijthof, which is believed to have been built on the grave of Saint Servatius. Little is known with certainty about the life of Bishop Servaas who was born in the 4th century. Several historical sources can be taken with a large grain of salt. Especially in the Middle Ages, numerous legends arose about miracles that were attributed to Servaas over time.

One of the most famous legends is that during a visit to Rome he received the key to the gate of heaven from the apostle Peter. The key, as well as a fresco of the scene, can be admired in the treasury of St. Servatius Church.

According to the stories, Saint Servatius was a very religious man and he was even said to be related to John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. When he was older, he left for Maastricht, where he became the first bishop of the Netherlands and patron saint of Maastricht, and is considered the founder of Christianity in the Netherlands. However, it is very questionable whether Servaas really existed, and if so, whether he ever visited Maastricht.

Statue of Saint Servatius
A great story is that Emperor Henry III decided to have a bust of Servaas made to honor him. His goldsmiths made a beautiful statue, but Servaas kept squinting. And they did not manage to fix it. The emperor became furious and threw the poor men into the dungeons. Later, Henry had a vision where