Village church in Heemskerk by Fela de Wit

About "Village church in Heemskerk "

by Fela de Wit

About the artwork

The church is first mentioned in 1063. What it looked like is unknown. Over the centuries, a church was built of tuff, a grey volcanic stone from the Eifel region, on the site of the current one. The tower was built in the 13th century from so-called monastic bricks, which are baked large stones used to build monasteries. The church was dedicated to Saint Laurentius. The substructure of the tower belongs to the Romanesque architectural style. The superstructure belongs to the Flemish art Gothic style. The Gothic-style part probably originated in the first half of the 15th century. During the siege of Alkmaar in 1573, the Spaniards demolished everything flammable from the church. Only the tower remained intact. Meanwhile, reform had taken place. In 1585, the spire collapsed down due to a lightning strike. The tower was rebuilt in a different type of stone, which is still visible. After the Spanish soldiers' retreat, rebuilding by Protestants began. It became a hall church without a choir in Gothic style. The church was rebuilt in 1628. A year later, the church was completely finished. The rooster dates from 1728. Since 1798, the tower has been municipal property. A consistory room was built at the back of the church in 1868. In 1970-1973, the tower and church were restored. The tower is designated a national monument[1] and is illuminated by floodlights at night. Since 1967, both the church and tower have been designated as national monuments