Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: archtectuur

Kastoria is well-known for its churches. It is also calles “city of 100 churches”. The amount of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches proves the richness of the city through the different ages. Kastoria originally had 72 Byzantine and medieval churches, of which 54 have survived. Some of them have been restored and provide useful insight into trends in late Byzantine styles of architecture and fresco painting. Many of the churches are small structures, as they were built as private churches by wealthy fur traders or the katholika of small monasteries. They are either aisleless churches or three-aisled basilicas. Their façades often show rich masonry with decorative letters, geometrical patterns, bands of dentils and occasional sun motifs. The churches also have outstanding fresco decorations with diverse iconographic programmes, showing their donors’ and painters’.

In Ottoman times, Kastoria attracted a mass of people from all over the Balkans and beyond, resulting in a diverse, multi-ethnic community. The different ethnic communities, Bulgarian, Turkish, Greek and Jewish, were centred around separate neighbourhoods or 'quarters'. Two old lakeside Greek neighbourhoods "Doltso" and "Apozari" are among the best-preserved and last remaining traditional quarters of the city. Especially “Doltso” - with its cobbled alleys and streets - is characterised by historic traditional mansions so called archontika - and houses, built between the 17th and 19th centuries by wealthy Kastorian furriers. During this time, the processing and exporting of animal furs created wealth in Kastoria. Some of these mansions nowadays houses museums and hotels.

Kasteel Asten (Asten Castle) was first mentioned in 1399, when it was a stone building with the name “Asten”. In the early 15th century the current castle was built by Goosen van Berkel. This castle had an almost square ground plan with 3 wings around a courtyard and a small corner tower, circled by a moat. Between 1575 and 1625 the late-medieval castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance manor by Bernard van Merode. Also the present bailey was built and a second moat was dug. Several repairs were carried out around 1740 but Kasteel Asten was already falling into disrepair. From 1836 on the castle wasn't even permanently inhabited anymore. The empty building then slowly fell to ruin. From 1935 to1942 Kasteel Asten seemed to be saved when it was partially rebuilt by Baron Clemens van Hövell tot Westerflier. It was a rigorous reconstruction, partially based on fantasy. But in 1944 the castle was shelled by German phosphor grenades and destroyed. Nowadays the ruins of Kasteel Asten are privately owned. The buildings in the bailey are used as private residences. The ruins of the castle can be visited for a fee, but only on appointment, with a guide and as part of a group.

Kasteel Heeze (Heeze Castle) used to be the centre of the seigneury of “Heeze, Leende and Zesgehuchten”, part of the Duchy of Brabant. In the Middle Ages, it was owned by the de Horne family. In the 17th century Pieter Post designed a new castle, of which the first part was built in 1665. After his death, the work was completed in a modified form by his son Maurits Post. Due to the rising costs of importing all building materials from other regions of the country, the build of the Post design was halted early and never finished. For this reason, the part of the castle that is used by the current owners was actually meant to be the servants' quarters. The biggest part of the castle was to be built behind the first courtyard. In 1733, Baron Adam de Holbach bought the property, which he gave to his nephew, Paul de Holbach, as a marriage present. In 1760 the castle was bought by Jan Maximiliaan van Tuyll van Serooskerken. This family has lived in the castle ever since. Part of Kasteel Heeze is used extensively for parties, including many wedding ceremonies.

Kasteel Geldrop (Geldrop Castle) - dating back to the year of 1350 - is located right in the center of Geldrop. A beautiful English garden - created at the end of the 10th century - with some exotic trees surrounds the castle. Next to the castle lies the Bloemenhof , a stunning flower garden. The complex is delimited by a monumental wall. The first owners of Kasteel Geldrop were “Jan and Philip van Geldrop”, who probably built it in 1350. The following century the castle remained in the Van Geldrop family. The construction of the present day castle started in 1616, when “Amandus I van Horne” had the middle facade built. In 1768 the heirs of “Van Horne” sold the manor to “Adriaan van Sprangh”. The new Lord of Geldrop had the castle and living-tower renovated. In 1798 feudal rights ended with the French Revolution. The title of Lord of Geldrop became an empty one. In the 19th century the castle came into the hands of the “Hoevenaar” family. Under the ownership of “Sara Hoevenaar”, in 1840 the medieval living tower was demolished. During “Hubertus Hoevenaar” the castle got its present look. His daughter “Arnaudina” married baron “Van Tuyll van Serooskerken”. They lived in the castle permanently from 1912. Nowadays Kasteel Geldrop is used for weddings, concerts and exhibitions. The latter have limited openning hours. Since 30 December 1996 the Stichting Landgoed Kasteel Geldrop (a foundation) owns the castle, the outbuildings and the more than 11 hectares of parkland. Before that, the estate had been in the possession of the municipality of Geldrop (then not yet merged with Mierlo) for 22 years.

The construction of Kasteel Helmond (Castle Helmond) started around 1325. The castle was the replacement of an older castle, known as “ ‘t Oude Huys”, which was located hundreds of meters west. Kasteel Helmond was owned by several noble families, like the Berlaer, Cortenbach and Arberg family.In the year of 1781 the castle would fall into the hands of Frederik Carel Wesselman. The construction of the new castle took a long time. It was not until the end of the 17th century that it had roughly reached its present form. Kasteel Helmond , which originally served as a military defence fortress, came through the centuries relatively unscathed. However, there was a short siege during the Eighty Years' War by Prince Maurits van Oranje. In 1921, the castle was sold to the municipality of Helmond by the last Lady of the family Westerman under the stipulation that the castle would be used for the municipal administration or other public use. The Lady’s wishes were respected and the castle served as a town hall from 1923 until the 1970s. Very little remains of the original interior of the castle as the structure had continually been updated throughout history. A few stucco ceilings and several fireplaces are the only original features. Kasteel Helmond - the largest moated castle of the Netherlands - nowadays houses a museum, exhibiting the history of the castle and its owners. It also still hosts weddings.

Kasteel Wijchen (Wijchen Castle) is a moated - almost square - castle with a small courtyard. It is not exactly known when the castle was built; due to architectural details probably somewhere in the 14th or early 15th century. The castle was first mentioned in a written source in 1392. From the 14th to the 17th centuries, it served as a defensive tower and castle. During these times, it was occupied by a number of families, was severely damaged, ransacked and rebuilt on numerous occasions. In 1609, Kasteel Wijchen came into the hands of Emilia van Nassau, a daughter of Willem van Oranje, Father of the (Dutch) Nation. The money for the purchase was raised partly from the sale of a valuable pearl necklace. This was necessary because her marriage to Don Emauel of Portugal was not blessed by the Dutch stadtholder. They rebuilt the castle to its present Renaissance appearance. After the death of Emilia in 1629 the castle was sold by her children. In the 17th and 18th century Kasteel Wijchen had several owners. In that period the castle fell into disrepair when it was used as a summer residence by Belgian owners. In 1903 the castle was sold at a public auction. Its new owner became Lady AW. van Andringa de Kempenaer. She renovated the castle only for it to be struck by a devastating fire in December 1906. Luckily the castle was rebuilt two years later. In 1932 Kasteel Wijchen was bought by the town of Wijchen and became a town hall. At present part of the castle still serves as a town hall. Other parts nowadays are used as a museum.

Duinlust is one of the many so called buitenplaatsen (summer residences) west of the city of Haarlem along the inner dunes. Wealthy merchants from Amsterdam built here their mansions. In 1783 a first house was built. After it was old in 1810 the new owner founded the Duinlust country estate and built a white house built in Empire style. There was also an orangerie, which still exists. In 1828 the house was sold again to Johanna Jacoba van de Velde, who also was the owner of the nearby Elswout ountry estate . After her death, the country estate goes to her son Willem Borski, a well-known Amsterdam banker. It became the summer residence of his eldest daughter Johanna Jacoba. After Willem Borski's death in 1881, she inherited the estate. Johanna Jacoba had a new house built by architect Constantijn Muysken in 1881. It is designed in neo-renaissance style. During the World War II, Dutch troops were stationed there, later it was confiscated by the German occupiers. During the last weeks of the war it was used by Canadians and the Homeland Forces. The house was in poor condition and as of November 1, 1947, the government rented the country estate and restored Duinlust. The CIOS (the first school for sports leaders) was located in the house from 1948 to 2001. Nowadays the mansion is used for events. The surrounding park is a nature reserve managed by Staatsbosbeheer (a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves).

Dutch economy reached a peak in the Golden Age. To escape the foul stench of the city in the summer, wealthy Amsterdam merchants invested in luxurious country estates with park-like gardens in the forested inner dunes. Thanks to a system of barge-canals and rivers, they could travel from Amsterdam to their estates in just a few hours. The area west of Haarlem (Kennemerland) became the cradle of these country estates. Buitenplaats (summer residence) Elswout was founded in the middle of the 17th century by Carel du Moulin, but the Amsterdammer Gabriel Marcelis completed the first construction of Elswout. Over the centuries, many great architects worked on the ever-changing architecture. The oldest buildings on Elswout date from the 17th century. The construction of the Grote Huis (Big House) on the Elswout Estate already started in 1884. When the façades and the terraces were completed, the client Willem Borski jr. died and construction came to a standstill. Although the building was given various functions after his death, it remained unfinished. After being occupied by the Germans during World War II the building was in bad shape. It later functioned for different purposes like schools. Elswout estate and the house became property of the municipality in 1958 and the Dutch State Forestry Commission in 1970. Over the years they could not find a proper function for the building and decided to have a competition for the rebuilding and renovation of the estates building. A private company decided to take up the challenge. After thorough search and research the original plans from around 1814 were found. Restoring the building’s interior and exterior according to those plans started in 2004 and realizing a new high end office function for the building. Elswout also offers one of the most beautiful and watery country estates along the inner dune edge of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. This 85-hectare national monument has a rich plant and animal life and is dotted with several special follies. Because of the special flora and fauna, Elswout (and the rest of National Park Zuid- Kennemerland) have a Natura 2000 status and the area is part of the European protected nature network. The Elswout house has never been open to the public, so it can only be admired from the outside. The garden can be visited and access is free.

Hoenderloo is a village, which only came into existence at the beginning of the 19th century on the rough lands of the Veluwe. In the spring, eekchillers went to this area to strip felled oak trees of their bark, which was used for tanning leather. The eekchillers lived with their families in temporary huts made of sods. Heather mower and shepherd Albert Brinkenberg was the first permanent resident of Hoenderloo. He built a sod hut (a simple hut partially buried and with a roof covered with sods) between 1813 and 1815. After him, more colonists followed. The residents were poor and worked as forest laborers, sheep shepherds, and plowmen, among other things. Slowly but surely, a small colony of huts made of sods arose. It was called Hoenderloo, after the many korhoenders (black grouse) that roamed there. The reconstructed cottage is really a stone's throw away from the hut that Brinkenberg built. The present wooden house (unfortunately not open to the public) gives some impression of how sober life must have been.

Kasteel Vosbergen (Vosbergen Castle) originally started out in the 16th century as a so-called "spijker": a stone storage barn where the proceeds from the surrounding lands were kept. It is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1558. According to wall anchors the current castle dates to 1623. Despite the fact that it has been thoroughly restored both internally and externally, it is one of the very few noble houses that have been preserved in perfect condition. In addition, it is noticeable that the tight lane set from the 16th and 17th century around the castle and the meadows remained virtually unchanged. The house consists of two wings of two floors, which are situated next to each other, covered by saddleback roofs and each with a cellar under the rear room. The house is surrounded by water, which is connected to an outer moat. In 1715 the estate came into the possession of the Van Dedem family. Since then this noble family has lived in the castle. The current baroness has inhabited Kasteel Vosbergen since 1972. The house is not open to the public, but the surrounding estate is.

For wealthy city inhabitants in the western part of the Netherlands, owning a country house increasingly became a status symbol. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were more than 120 of them between Beverwijk and Hillegom along the inner dunes. One of them was Huis Leyduin , which was already mentioned as a homestead in 1596. The estate was increasingly expanded by the owners. In the 18th century, the place was inhabited by the Van Loon family. They built a belvedere, which stand on a man made hill and had lines of sight across the area in the past. In the year of 1808 Leyduin came into the possession of the Van Lennep family. They had a new house built on the site of the old mansion and also made parts of the country estate available for the first dune water extraction, intended for the city of Amsterdam. The current Huis Leyduin was built in 1921 and was inhabited by the Dorhout Mees family. After the World War II, Huis Leyduin was a girls' boarding school and a training institute, among other things. Since 1997, Leyduijn has been owned by Landschap Noord Holland (a Dutch foundation which aims to protect the landscape and nature of the province of North Holland). The house itself is not open for public, but the surrounding park is free to visit. Nowadays the estate is a Dutch national monument.

The Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes were built between 1608 and 1612 by order of the owners of the St. Elisabeth or Great Hospital, which is (or better was) located around the corner. Older people with some savings could register as a so-called provenier . This meant that they could buy a one-off lump sum and have accommodation and care until the end of their lives; a more commercial set-up than the traditional Dutch hofjes . After the great fire of 1576, the Elisabeth Hospital was built on a former convent site. Building rental houses was a common form of money investment in the 17th century. Originally, there were twenty identical houses, making the complex one of the earliest examples of serial construction on a large scale. In 1906, eight cottages were demolished. The remaining twelve - together with the former old men's home and later orphanage (now the Frans Hals Museum) across the street - form a unique street scene. Due to an extensive renovation in 1931, the historical layout of the houses was lost. The fronts with the stepped gables were preserved. In 1974-1975, the complex was restored again and since then the Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes have again been used for housing.

The Bakenesserkerk (Bakenesser Church) started as a simple wooden chapel in the middle of the 13th century, dedicated to Mary. Most likely, Count Willem II of Holland, the later Roman Catholic king, ordered the construction of the old chapel. At that time, the church was the centre of the Bakenes , the oldest part of the city, which was therefore called Oud Haarlem (Old Haarlem) until the 16th century. The construction of the present church, which was then called Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kapel (Chapel of Our Lady), probably started after 1461. The beautiful and impressive tower - built of white sandstone - of the church is a real eye-catcher. It dates from 1530 and is almost identical in shape to the spire of the Grote of St.Bavokerk . They are also called “twin towers”. The churches in Haarlem used to be city property. When church and state were separated in 1808, the churches in Haarlem were ceded to the Reformed community. The church towers were excluded from this deal and are still municipal property. In 1620, the Bakenesserkerk was prepared for Reformed use. A new entrance door (PiP) on the east side of the church bears the date 1620 and is attributed to Lieven de Key. The lion above the gate is a reconstruction. From 1779 to 1954 the Bakenesserkerk was used as a so-called Kinderkerk (Children's Church). The children of people who were supported by the Reformed Deaconry were obliged to attend these services. If they did not attend, their parents' allowance was cut. A private person bought the Bakenesserkerk in 1996 because it was a financial load for the Reformed Church. After a few years, the Haarlem municipality bought the church. The building has been restored and is the new home of the Archaeology Department of the municipality.

The Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is located in the center of the city of Haarlem. With its 76 meters high wooden tower - covered with lead - the church is a well known landmark. The medieval gothic cruciform church is one of the largest in the Netherlands. The impressive interior of the gothic church offers a lot of splendid (architectural) highlights. Unique in the church are the beautiful wooden ceiling vault, the many stained-glass windows and the the floor, which consists entirely of 1.500 gravestones; the oldest is dating back to the 15th century. Until 1831 graves were allowed in the church, and many illustrious Haarlemmers through the centuries are buried there. The choir - built in 1370-1400 - is closed off at the front by a masterpiece of medieval craftsmanship: a copper choir screen from 1517. The choir stalls are dating back to the beginning of the 16th century; the coats of arms were applied later. The famous Müller organ was played by many well known musicians, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart. The organ counts 5.068 pipes and is almost 30 meters high.

The reformed Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is a former Catholic cathedral. The church is a late Gothic cross-basilica with a slim line cross tower. The very first St. Bavo Church was already mentioned in 1245 and was considered prominent, among other things because of its belfry. The Church is built in basilical style: the nave is twice as broad as the side aisle. The direct predecessor of the present church consisted from a choir, nave, transept and a west tower which was tall enough to be used as a watchtower for firemen. This tower had a peak made of slate and probably also lead and possibly also a small lantern. It was provided with a weathercock and a clock with a bell. In 1423/1433 a richly decorated Font Chapel was built against the west side of the church with a charming baptismal font in it with a wrought-iron tap. The design for the stone tower was made in 1502. The tower seemed to be too heavy for the crossing pillars and one of the pillars sank; some gravestones around it cracked. Between 1514 and 1517 the tower was then broken off again and replaced by a wooden crossing tower covered with lead. The dimensions of the 76 meters high tower are immense: 35 to 40 meters height, an ‘onion’ of 3 meters high and in diameter; a cross of 550 kg, a cock of 65 kg and a carillon with 47 bells of more than 10.000 kg and the weight of the leaded paneling about 85.000 kg. Some more facts and figures of the church: length 108 meters, width of the nave + side aisles 31 meters, widest point of the church 47 meters, height of the nave 29 meters, The Grote of St.-Bavokerk was and still is an important landmark for the city of Haarlem and has dominated the city skyline for centuries.

Kasteel Wijchen (Wijchen Castle) is a moated - almost square - castle with a small courtyard. It is not exactly known when the castle was built; due to architectural details probably somewhere in the 14th or early 15th century. The castle was first mentioned in a written source in 1392. From the 14th to the 17th centuries, it served as a defensive tower and castle. During these times, it was occupied by a number of families, was severely damaged, ransacked and rebuilt on numerous occasions. In 1609, Kasteel Wijchen came into the hands of Emilia van Nassau, a daughter of Willem van Oranje, Father of the (Dutch) Nation. The money for the purchase was raised partly from the sale of a valuable pearl necklace. This was necessary because her marriage to Don Emauel of Portugal was not blessed by the Dutch stadtholder. They rebuilt the castle to its present Renaissance appearance. After the death of Emilia in 1629 the castle was sold by her children. In the 17th and 18th century Kasteel Wijchen had several owners. In that period the castle fell into disrepair when it was used as a summer residence by Belgian owners. In 1903 the castle was sold at a public auction. Its new owner became Lady AW. van Andringa de Kempenaer. She renovated the castle only for it to be struck by a devastating fire in December 1906. Luckily the castle was rebuilt two years later. In 1932 Kasteel Wijchen was bought by the town of Wijchen and became a town hall. At present part of the castle still serves as a town hall. Other parts nowadays are used as a museum.

Nijmegen received city rights in 1230 and was expanding rapidly. The buildings 'crept' slowly up the hilla from the quay along the river Waal. The construction of the Stevenskerk (officially the Great Church or St. Stephen's Church) on top of the Hundisburg - one of the seven hills on which the city was built - was a kind of capstone. Construction of the church began around 1254 and it was consecrated in 1272. What remains of the originally Romanesque-Gothic church are the understructure of the tower and a few bays of the nave. In the following centuries, the church was rebuilt and enlarged again and again. After the Iconoclastic Fury in 1591, the church came into the hands of the Protestants. In the process, statues of saints and other objects were destroyed. With one exception, all the heads of the statues in the church were chopped off. The interior was also whitewashed. The interior offers elegant domes, the monumental Köniorgan, splendid stained glass windows, age old graves and a spectacular row of chandeliers. The 71 metre high tower of the Stevenskerk was damaged several times by fire or acts of war. The church and the tower were severely damaged after a bombing raid in February 1944 during World War II. After the war the church was thoroughly renovated; the tower was the first to be rebuilt in 1953, and the church was officially reopened in 1969. Stevenskerk nowadays is still the 750-year icon of Nijmegen and used for for weekly ecumenical church services, exhibitions, activities of student associations and orations. The church is open for visitors.