The first notice of a stone church in Breda dates from 1269. Construction of the present church began with the choir in 1410, and the old tower collapsed in 1457. The current tower was built from 1468 to 1509, and the church reached its present shape in 1547. The article does not name an architect. It describes the style as Brabantine Gothic, on a Latin cross plan.
The tower is 318 feet (97 meters) high. The spire burned in 1694, and the current spire dates from 1702. Henry III of Nassau-Breda ordered the Prinsenkapel, built from 1520 to 1525, which was the mausoleum of the Nassau-Breda dynasty and has vault frescoes from 1533.
The church became Protestant in 1637. It now serves as a Reformed church and an event hall for 1,000 people.
Comments