When we were hashing in Den Bosch in May, the massive cathedral was hardly visible. Luckily all of the scaffolding was gone and we could see the majestic cathedral.
The earliest church was built on this site in 1220. This gothic church was primarily built between 1340 and 1525. This use of double flying buttresses makes this cathedral unique in the Netherlands.
In total there are around 600 statues of animals, monsters and people scattered across the massive building. During the latest renovation in 2010, 25 new angel statues were created with the most famous being this one with a cell phone. I was happy that I could share this with Mike as he didn’t know about this modern addition. The sculptor explained, “The phone has just one button. It dials directly to God.”
Apparently she’s a conduit between Heaven and Earth. Visitors can call her for 80 cents per minute to learn, hear, ask, pray and marvel with the entire proceeds going towards maintenance of the church.
We managed to see the cathedral from just about every angle, including from the tower of the Hieronymus Bosch Art Center.
It was very impressive from the inside as well. I quickly spotted Saint Veronica.
There are still old tombstones on the floor, including this one from 1677.
There were a lot of statues throughout the city of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Den Bosch. This particular statue is about four feet tall, made of wood and was originally placed in St. John’s in 1380. During a siege in 1629, she was smuggled out to Brussels where she stayed until 1853. It was a charming spot to light a candle in my father’s honor.
Not only does this cathedral have an angel using 21st century technology, but I could purchase a candle by Apple Pay.
The large organ was built between 1618 and 1638.
I thought this stained glass was particularly beautiful.
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