Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
When: May 8, 2017
With: Dave
Practically across the street from our hotel lay this small, unassuming sight in Amsterdam. As though in complete and total contrast from the Red Light District a short distance away, the Begijnhof houses a very different neighborhood of ladies.
The name Begijnhof comes from the word beguines, women who have chosen to dedicate their lives to religious practice. Unlike nuns, they never take vows, but they do pledge chastity and live in a convent-like community amongst themselves. The typical setup for their living situation was a courtyard surrounded by their homes, called a beguinage.
The beguine of the Begijnhof was founded in the 1300s, making this the oldest inner court in the city of Amsterdam. While many of the houses now look like a typical Dutch house, with facades dating from the 17th or 18th century, the interior structures of many of the houses date back to Gothic times.
When: May 8, 2017
With: Dave
Practically across the street from our hotel lay this small, unassuming sight in Amsterdam. As though in complete and total contrast from the Red Light District a short distance away, the Begijnhof houses a very different neighborhood of ladies.
The name Begijnhof comes from the word beguines, women who have chosen to dedicate their lives to religious practice. Unlike nuns, they never take vows, but they do pledge chastity and live in a convent-like community amongst themselves. The typical setup for their living situation was a courtyard surrounded by their homes, called a beguinage.
The beguine of the Begijnhof was founded in the 1300s, making this the oldest inner court in the city of Amsterdam. While many of the houses now look like a typical Dutch house, with facades dating from the 17th or 18th century, the interior structures of many of the houses date back to Gothic times.
The entrance to the Begijnhof is easy to miss. It is just a simple stone archway hidden off the edge of a square. Down a short hallway and flight of stairs, it opens up into the entrance of the courtyard. The Begijnhof actually sits below the rest of the city of Amsterdam, which has been built higher since the Middle Ages.
The first sight upon entering is the small church in the courtyard.
The English Reformed Church prides itself on being the perfect spot for the many English-speaking expats of the Netherlands. It was a Catholic church until the Spanish and their Catholic rule were thrown out of the country in the 1500s. The doors of the church closed, only to be reopened as a gift to English Protestants escaping persecution in 1607. A group of these individuals would eventually sail to the New World as the Pilgrims we know of today.
Also at the entrance is the last remaining wooden house in the courtyard. Referred to as the Houten Huis, or "wooden house", it is one of only two medieval homes remaining in all of Amsterdam.
Photos are fine, but not of any people milling about. While the last member of the beguines died in the 70s, this is still home to single and widowed Catholic women over the age of 30. Their gardens are beautiful and well-tended.
This was such a lovely, peaceful little stop on our walk around Amsterdam. While I wouldn't want to follow the rules of living here, persay, it was such a beautiful little neighborhood.
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