The Great or St. Martin's Church Elst by Nicky Kapel

About "The Great or St. Martin's Church Elst"

by Nicky Kapel

About the artwork

The Grote or Sint-Maartenskerk, Sint-Werenfriduskerk or Dutch Reformed Church is a church building in Elst in the municipality of Overbetuwe in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The church building stands on an elevation on the Grote Molenstraat and the Sint Maartenstraat.

The building is a national monument.

History:
In prehistoric times there was an open-air sanctuary of the Batavians on the site of the church building. In Roman times there were two Roman temples: the Temples of Elst from the first century A.D. There are still remains under and around the church.

Around the eighth century a Romanesque hall church was built dedicated to Saint Martin. This was said to be the first Christian church on this site which, according to tradition, was founded by Saint Werenfried van Elst. Werenfridus was one of the helpers of the Utrecht Bishop Willibrord and had the task of converting the people in the Elst area to Christianity.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the hall church was extended or rebuilt in Romanesque style, including a crypt.

In the middle of the 15th century the choir and in the last quarter of the 15th century (around 1483) a nave with a north aisle were built. The tower was also built in the late fifteenth century. The church was then dedicated to Werenfried van Elst.

After 1579 the church came into the hands of Protestants when public Catholic worship was banned.

In September 1944, the church was largely destroyed during the Battle of Arn