Description of the attraction
The ancient city of Delft received city status in 1246. Among other privileges, city status gave Delft the right to build a fortress wall. For several centuries she defended the city, and in the 19th century the last fragments of the city's fortifications were demolished. The only thing that now reminds us of the existence of the wall is the Eastern Gate, which was once called the Gate of St. Catherine.
There were nine gates in the city wall. The eastern gate was built around 1400 and is a fine example of the so-called "brick Gothic" typical of Northern Europe. Two interconnected towers reliably protect the entrance to the city, loopholes are located in the powerful walls, allowing to fire at the attackers. In 1546, the towers were added and decorated with sharp spiers. Since then, the silhouette of the twin towers has been the hallmark of Delft. Many artists who lived in Delft depicted them in their canvases.
When the Great Fire of 1536 raged in Delft, the gates were far from its epicenter and did not suffer, and the explosion of gunpowder stores in 1654 spared them. A section of the wall connects the East Gate with the Water Gate, through which it was also possible to enter the city and which can also be blocked.
Now in the towers there are residential studio apartments, at first there were two of them, then they were combined into one, part of the premises was given over to an exhibition hall.
The two towers of the Eastern Gate seem to echo the two towers of the Church of St. Mary, located nearby.
