Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

Important church in the style of the Delft School with a massive bell tower. The tower has a special design, as it has a semicircular extension against the south facade. This gives the tower an unexpectedly expressive character. It is correct, as the monument register states, that this extension serves the staircase that leads to the flat on the tower. But the remarkable design of the tower undoubtedly also has a symbolic background. It probably refers to the role that the tower plays in the martyrdom of Saint Barbara. Her pagan father, Dioscurus, locked Barbara in a tower to protect her from the many young men who sought her hand. The St. Barbara is virtually the only church by architect AJN Boosten above the major rivers (another was the (demolished) H. Sacrament in Arnhem). The interior of the St. Barbara Church contains an important series of stained glass windows.

Built as a Roman Catholic church for the village of Vreeswijk. Characteristic late neo-Gothic church with tower and roof turret. This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

This church was built in 1924 next to the dilapidated previous church from the 16th century. On 15 November 1944 the church was blown up by the retreating Germans. Only the concrete trusses survived the explosion. A few years later a new and larger church was put into use.

Saint Barnabas, 1852-1854 by WJ van Vogelpoel. Neoclassical beige CHURCH with elements borrowed from the Baroque in the facade: on the door or cornice abutting higher middle part with pilasters and pediment. The side parts of the facade have swiveling crowns. Originally a single-manual organ, made in 1845 by Stulting and Maarschalkerweerd. In 1880 he started his career with M. Maarschalkerweerd. Clock chair with clock by Petit and Fritsen, ca. 1854, diam. 41.9 cm. Small house clock, has been taken out of use.

Neo-Romanesque church with a laterally placed tower.

Old Catholic church in Schoonhoven because of the organ, made by the organ builders L. Mintier and Gloton from Nantes (France) around 1875. Purchased from a private individual and placed in this church around 1980.

The oldest part of the church dates from the 13th century. Internal wall remains of the single-nave church from that time still remain. The lower part of the tower dates from the 14th century, as does the Gothic choir and single chapel on the north side. The tower was possibly raised in the 15th century. The chapel on the north side was enlarged in 1717 to a complete north aisle. The nave and choir were also raised. The tower was given a classicist entrance gate. When the parish became independent in 1845, a sacristy and a baptismal chapel were added to the north side. In 1923, the neo-Gothic south aisle was added on a plinth of Kunrade stone according to plans by architect Heurkens. In 1958, the tower was restored, in 1964-'65 the rest of the church. (Source: [1]

Large neo-Gothic church with a defining tower. Early, richly detailed Margrykerk. This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

Large, late neo-Gothic church with a defining high tower of 76 m, making it the highest church tower in the Westland.

The Sint Bavokerk was designed by architect HNM Nefkens (1918-2018) and has several works of art by Rotterdam artist Bob Zijlmans. In addition to this facade mosaic, the church contains stained glass by Zijlmans and he made the large facade wall of glass-in-concrete on the Slinge. This mosaic depicts Saint Bavo. The image fits into the iconographic tradition surrounding this saint: a dissolute nobleman who came to insight and then converted to the faith and became a hermit. He is usually depicted as a well-dressed and armed nobleman with a falcon on his hand. At the bottom right is the tree where he withdrew as a hermit. At the top left is a church that disappears into the waves: a reference to the storm surge of 1373, when the then Bavokerk in the village of Pendrecht was destroyed. Below that, a coat of arms shows the Lordship of Pendrecht. The mosaic Sint Bavo emphasizes the entrance of the church building, which was granted the status of National Monument in 2019. As a whole, architecture with art, the Sint Bavokerk is a beautiful reminder of the time in which Pendrecht was formed.