Sint Joostkapel
Historic medieval chapel with a turret on the front facade. The Saint-Josse Chapel (also Joostkapel) has been the Evangelical Lutheran Church on the corner of the Lage Gouwe and the Groenendaal in Gouda since 1682. The Saint-Josse Chapel dates from the 15th century. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Josse, the patron saint of the peat and sack carriers in Gouda. He was invoked as an intercessor and helper in impending births. After the Reformation in 1572, the chapel was first used as a peat barn and from 1577 as a storage space for fire buckets and ladders. In 1680, the building, excluding the tower with clock, was sold by the city council for 400 ducatons to the Evangelical Lutheran Community. They restored the building and officially took it into use as a church in 1682. The church building was restored in 1762, 1790, 1806, 1838 and 1869. During the restoration of 1838, the windows were enlarged and the stained glass windows were sold. During the restoration of 1869, the tower was demolished because the street in front of the church was lowered to make room for a movable bridge over the Gouwe. The most extensive restoration was that of 1957. The church was almost completely demolished and rebuilt. On the front facade, a blind window shows the location of the former church tower. The new front facade was crowned with a projecting turret. Nowadays, an Evangelical Lutheran service is held in the Sint-Joostkapel every other Sunday morning. The Sint-Joostkapel can also be rented for weddings and funeral services and small concerts.
