Description of the attraction
The Old Church is a gothic church in the center of Delft, one of the oldest buildings in the city and the oldest church in Delft. A small stone church existed here already in 1050, it was expanded and rebuilt in 1246, the year when Delft received the status of a city. The church was built in the Gothic style and was consecrated in honor of St. Bartholomew.
In 1325-50, a 75-meter tower was added to the church. To build it, it was necessary to change the course of the oldest canal in the city, the old channel was filled up, and construction began in its place. The instability of the soils on the bank of the canal led to the fact that the tower began to tilt. The builders tried to rectify the situation by deflecting the tiers of the tower vertically. The leaning tower was popularly nicknamed "Crooked Yang". For a long time, the townspeople feared its fall, and even suggestions were made to demolish it. Now the slope of the tower is about two meters. The tower is fully stabilized, there is no danger of falling.
The largest bell on the tower weighs 9 tons; it sounds only during the funeral of one of the members of the royal family or during a general alarm.
The first stained glass windows appeared in the church at the beginning of the 15th century, but the fire and then the explosion of the powder warehouse practically destroyed them. The stained glass windows that adorn the interior today were made in the 20th century. Three organs are installed in the church.
Many famous people are buried here, including the artist Jan Vermeer and Anthony van Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope.
