The Basilica of Oudenbosch was build on the initiative of father Willem Hellmons between 1865 and 1892. The Basilica is a small copy of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Basilica has been renovated and is really worth a visit.
Link:
http://filipdemuinck-kristelpardon.blogspot.com/2009/11/basiliek-oudenbosch-nederland.html
Written Jan 9, 2010
The Institute of St. Louis, a boarding school, was one of many catholic institutions in this small town. The chapel is itself a copy of the basilica, only smaller and much more subtle. The interior is worth a look if it's open. I was lucky to get there shortly before a mass was held, and the priest invited me in.
Updated Mar 10, 2004
When Garibaldi's army, in an attempt to unite Italy, threathened the Vatican state, Father Hellemons gathered an army of Dutch volunteers, the zouaves, to fight for the pope. A hopeless cause, perhaps not even a just cause, but I think the volunteers do deserve some respect. A statue and a museum keep their memory alive.
Updated Mar 10, 2004
You may admire it, you can think it's the biggest load of kitsch ever. But you can't go to Oudenbosch and not visit the basilica. I mean the interior, it's overwhelming. Wood painted to look like marble, plaster imitating sculpture and lots of paintings and statues. One of these "marble" pillars is in fact a broom closet! I don't think it's beatiful, but it's sure interesting.
The basilica is a copy of the St. Peter in Rome, only smaller. Some say it's a third of the size of its example, others say a half, some even say a sixteenth.
Famous architect P.J.H. Cuypers designed the church, one of only a few churches he designed that isn't in neo-Gothic style. The facade was added later and is a copy of that of the St. John Lateran, also in Rome.
Updated Mar 10, 2004
There I stood in front of a church that obviously escaped from Rome and was hiding out in this little village within the Western part of the province of North Brabant. I got intrested and looked up some information about it. This enormous basilica was built by a father Willem (William) Hellemons, who was a personal friend of the pope in Rome and visited the Italian capitol many times, in particularly the Vatican. When he became priest in Oudenbosch, he decided that a copy of the Saint Petrus-basilica should be built at the place where Oudenbosch already had a church. The architect P. Cuijpers started the work in 1864 and this model is scaled 1:3 with the real one. The facade, baring the names of Saint Agatha and Barbara, was added later (1892) in the style of the Saint John Lateran church - as well found in Rome.
Written Aug 31, 2003
Oudenbosch is situated within the triangular shape of three highways in Western Brabant running from Breda to Dordrecht, from Dordrecht to Roosendaal and from Roosendaal to Breda. I accidently reached it by car, taking a wrong turn off the freeway and starting to work my way in the direction of Breda. From far away the dome will be a guiding "light" to Oudenbosch.
Written Aug 31, 2003
Favorite thing: To be honest, Oudenbosch itself is one of many villages within the province of North Brabant. On itself it holds not that many special things, but with the basilica of Saint Agatha and Barbara it has a highlight that doesn't know it's equal within The Netherlands. The more the surprise for an unexpected visit here by me. A surprise that I of course want to share with all of you.
To say that Oudenbosch does not have anything else to offer, would be incorrect. I have seen some nice picture about the old boradingschool of Saint Louis as well, which must be also a pretty sight. It again has a part that is a scale-model from the basilica. So, one can say that Oudenbosch eventually has two of them.
Fondest memory: The surprise in a moment of loosing my way and finding accidently this amazing building.
Written Aug 31, 2003
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