A Photo of the Inside of Saint Willibrord's Basilica

A Photo of the Inside of Saint Willibrord's Basilica

Saint Wilibrord’s Basilica was built in Hulst, Netherlands sometime around 1200, before gradually being renovated and improved upon over the years (Wikipedia). The Basilica was originally Roman Catholic, with architecture in the Romanesque fashion. This style was especially prominent in France and Spain, and can be seen in the Basilica’s rounded interior arches and round arch stained-glass windows (Wikipedia). Then, in the late 15th century, the building underwent renovations from Everaert Spoorwater, one of the founding fathers of the Brabant Gothic movement. He innovated by refining the pillars, and adding a pointed arch found at the top of the structure (not seen in the photo) (Wikipedia). These architectural improvements predated the Eighty Years’ War, but signify, in part, the gradual move away from Spanish influence within the Netherlands— as they developed new styles independent of Spain. The Basilica would then further represent the shift as it moved from Roman Catholicism toward the Dutch Reformed Church by the end of the Eighty Years’ War. The Eighty Years’ War was heavily influenced by Spanish religious doctrine, as many in the Netherlands hated Spain’s attempts to create ecclesiastical hierarchies in their lands and disliked the Inquisition (Israel, 27-28). The people wanted greater control over their religion, an idea given to them in part through the Protestant Reformation that was sweeping throughout the lands around that time (Israel, 27-28). The Basilica represents this shift, both in architectural style and religion, and its gradual renovation demonstrates how new local ideas led to the Dutch revolting in 1568.

Harrie Gielen

Gielen, Harrie. Nederlands: Koorkerk van de Sint-Willibrordusbasiliek Te Hulst. [object HTMLTableCellElement]. Own work. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willibrordus_Hulst_01.jpg.

Jonathan Israel, The Dutch Republic: its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477–1806 (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1995), pp. 27-28.

“Sint-Willibrordusbasiliek Saint Willibrord’s Basilica.” Wikipedia, n.d. https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=nl&sp=nmt4&u=https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Willibrordusbasiliek&xid=17259,15700023,15700124,15700149,15700186,15700190,15700201,15700214&usg=ALkJrhg7pTbaDBDCnyhRtV7CKP0606P0Sg#cite_note-2.

“Netherlands Reformed Church | Dutch Protestant Denomination.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Netherlands-Reformed-Church.

Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, "Politics and Power, 1600-1789" in Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 335

“Romaanse Architectuur Romanesque Architecture.” Wikipedia, n.d. https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=nl&sp=nmt4&u=https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romaanse_architectuur&xid=17259,15700023,15700124,15700149,15700186,15700190,15700201,15700214&usg=ALkJrhiudeXQByCygtsAXC8hX98orgBiXQ.

14 September 2009

Teddy Wolfe

CC BY-SA 3.0 (Free to Share)

Photo taken by Harrie Gielen of the inside of Saint Willibrord's Basilica

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