St. Plechelmus Basilica
The St. Plechelmus Basilica (nl. Sint-Plechelmusbasiliek ) is a Roman Catholic church in Oldenzaal , Netherlands . The church is dedicated to Saint Plechelmus, an Irish monk from the 8th century. The church belonging to the Archdiocese of Utrecht bears the title of a minor basilica and is protected as a Rijksmonument .
history
Around the year 765 the missionary Plechelmus had a previous church built, which he dedicated to the holy New Year's Eve . The second church was built by Bishop Balderich von Utrecht , who was born in Oldenzaal, in 954 and dedicated it to Plechelmus, of which there is also a relic . At the same time an order chapter was donated.
Today's Plechelmuskirche was built in the middle of the 12th century from Bentheim sandstone in the late Romanesque style of Westphalian and Saxon characteristics as a circular basilica with a chancel closed on three sides. A nave, the north aisle, the north transept and a choir bay were taken over from the previous building. In the interior, the ribbed vaults of the ship rest on thick, square pillars. Construction of the basilica was completed around 1180. Various elements were added over the years, such as the gates in 1240.
View into the main nave
Choir apse
View through the main nave to the organ
Sermon pulpit in the south aisle
Window in the south aisle
The tower with a west choir, which is around sixty meters high today, was probably built under Bishop Otto II of Utrecht (1216–1227). The tower is called early Gothic or Romano-Gothic because of its decorations . In 1447 a violent fire raged in Oldenzaal, damaging the Romanesque south wing. This was rebuilt between 1481 and 1500 in the Gothic style. The fifth tower section was built around 1500. In the Middle Ages the church was one of the seven most important churches in the diocese of Utrecht.
The Reformation ended religious life after seven centuries in the 17th century. The impressive chapter houses were sold for demolition in the same century. From 1633 to 1810 the church building was used by the evangelical parish of Oldenzaal, which neglected maintenance due to the small number of members. After the return to the Catholic Church in 1810 by King Louis Bonaparte , the monumental rood screen from the 15th century was demolished. The necessary restoration of the church took place in several stages, the most important of which was carried out by the architect Jos Cuypers , who had the sandstone walls and medieval plastering exposed again.
Bells ringing
The bell chamber in the church tower is the largest of its kind in Europe. The carillon has 48 bells, five of which also serve as ring bells . The largest is the Maria from 1493 by the famous bell founder Gerhard van Wou with a weight of 2400 kg. The other four are the Beatrix (1600 kg), Irene (1150 kg), the Henriette (680 kg) and the Everdina (480 kg), all of which were cast in the 20th century.
Basilica minor
In 1950 the St. Plechelmus Church was opened by Pope Pius XII. raised to the minor basilica.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Basiliek van de H. Plechelmus on gcatholic.org
- ↑ St. Plechelmuskerk on monument register
Coordinates: 52 ° 18 ′ 44.8 " N , 6 ° 55 ′ 42.5" E