{"id":6062,"date":"2017-02-21T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6062"},"modified":"2017-03-28T21:20:36","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T01:20:36","slug":"the-only-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6062","title":{"rendered":"The Only One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Rome has many basilicas.<\/p>\n

Amsterdam…only one.<\/p>\n

Arriving in the Dutch capital via Amsterdam Central Station, one of the first landmarks you spy is the Basilica of St. Nicholas.\u00a0 Located to the left, in the Old Town district, its two towers mark the skyline.<\/p>\n

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Having always noticed this beautiful building, it was my desire to visit one day.\u00a0 Never quite having the time or being able to arrive before closing, due to its restrictive schedule, I realized that its door were open one afternoon, while passing nearby.<\/p>\n

Built over 129 years ago, the city’s main Catholic church, was designed by architect, Adrianus Bleijs and was originally called St. Nicholas Inside the Walls as it sat within the oldest part of the Amsterdam defense works.\u00a0\u00a0It was elevated to basilica in 2012, during its 125th year of existence,\u00a0during a celebration of Solemn Vespers.<\/p>\n

Combining Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles, the church’s exterior is easily recognizable with its two identical towers on either side of the ornate stained glass rose window.\u00a0 A domed baroque octagonal tower is adorned with a large cross.\u00a0 Above the rose window, a statue of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Amsterdam and seafarers, can be spotted.<\/p>\n

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The basilica’s mixture of styles is carried on within the recently renovated church.\u00a0 Designed with a three-aisled layout the large baroque dome sits above the crossing.<\/p>\n

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Two chapels alongside the apse and the nave are devoted to Mary and Joseph and on both sides of the church and high above the altar, sits the crown of Maximilian I, a symbol seen throughout Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

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Take the time to inspect the beautiful religious murals that line the walls throughout the church, most importantly the 14 Stations of the Cross<\/em> by Jan Dunselman which were painted from 1891 to 1898.\u00a0 Interestingly, Dunselman used the faces of parishioners as his models preserving their likenesses for future parishioners and relatives to appreciate.\u00a0 Other paintings commemorate the Miracle of Amsterdam and the Martyrs of Gorkum, 19 Catholic figures who were hanged in 1572.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_6286\"The pulpit, an elaborately designed piece\u00a0by Pierre Elysee van den Bossche highlights the left of the structure as well as the 19th century Sauer organ at the rear of the church.\u00a0 The German organ was built in 1889 and attracts large numbers of world renowned organists from around the world during the International Organ Concert Series every summer.\u00a0 These musicians treasure the opportunity to not only enjoy the music from this magnificent instrument, but to perform on it as well.<\/p>\n

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One last thing to note…when leaving the church, take look above you before crossing through the doorway.\u00a0 A beautiful little wooden sailboat hangs silently, reminding us of Amsterdam’s seafaring ancestry and the basilica’s patron saint.\"IMG_6280\"<\/p>\n

Check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe for more pictures.<\/p>\n

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St. Nicholas Basilica<\/strong><\/p>\n