Restorations Old Church
Over the centuries, the Old Church has undergone several restorations to withstand the effects of fires, a massive explosion and the ravages of time.
3 May 1536
Destroyed
On the night of 3 May 1536, a fire broke out in the nearby New Church, presumably due to a lightning strike. Manpower was used to put out the fire, but more than half the houses were destroyed. The Old Church was also in bad shape. The first major restoration followed that year.
1654
Ordinary glass
Fate also struck in 1654. In the early morning of 12 October, the 'Secret of Holland' exploded; the storehouse of gunpowder. The blast - which reportedly could be heard as far away as Texel - destroyed at least five hundred houses as well as the windows of the Old and New Church. Thanks to a collection in the surrounding villages and towns, reconstruction quickly followed. However, many stained-glass windows were bricked up or replaced with plain glass.
Overall restoration
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the floor of the church sagged. A major renovation followed, to which all tomb owners had to contribute. After a major fire in 1921, the church was closed for almost three years. From 1949 to 1961 and finally from 1997 to 2000, two general restorations of the stucco, stained-glass windows and roof followed.
Discover more about the history of the Old Church
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The genesis
The origins of Delft's oldest church go back to the dark beginning of the Middle Ages. Around 1050, the settlement along the 'Delf' probably already had a small tufa church measuring about twelve by thirty metres.
Extensions Old Church
Over time, the Old Church grew with Delft. Around 1240, civil servant Bartholomeus van der Made had two aisles and a choir built: the first expansion.
Restorations Old Church Delft
Over the centuries, the Old Church has undergone several restorations to withstand the effects of fires, a massive explosion and the ravages of time.