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Published: June 23rd 2022
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Oostport
Oostport - East Gate of Delft. Built ca. 1400. Restored in 1964.
DSC_0038p1 To me the word "Delft" immediately brings to mind images of the famous blue and white earthenware. Royal Delft was our tour's destination. Arriving in Delft, we stopped at an industrial building named
De Porceleyne Fles (The Porcelain Jar). It is the home and manufactory of Royal Delft. The building also contains the Royal Delft Museum. Manufacture of Delft tin-glazed earthenware began in the early 17th century inspired by imported Chinese Blue and White porcelain. A tour of the premises began with the Delft workshop where craftsmen were forming the pieces from clay, preparing them for painting, painting designs on the formed pieces and then glazing and firing them. (We sort of saw the process in reverse order.) The museum displays Delftware pieces old and new including a reproduction of Rembrandt's Night Watch in Delft tiles. Of course, there was also the opportunity to purchase Delftware.
After visiting Royal Delft, the tour headed for downtown Delft and its market square. There was free time here to have lunch and explore. The Grand Cafe Willem van Oranje looked like a likely spot for lunch. It has a perfect location on Delft's Market Square (
Groote Markt) with view of the Nieuwe Kerk
Royal Delft
De Porceleyne Fles - Royal Delft factory. The Royal Delft Experience. Rotterdamseweg 196.
DSC_1016p1 at one end and the Stadhuis at the other. We sat outside in very pleasant weather. The multilingual menu displayed all sorts of temping offerings from sandwiches to salads. My attention was caught by the Dutch pancakes (Pannekoeken). I had to try one and ordered a Ham and Cheese pancake. It was wonderful! When it arrived it looked for all the world like a pizza. But it was definitely a pancake cooked with ham and cheese on top. (The pancake was more on the order of a large crêpe than what I think of as pancake, and was really good.)
The Nieuwe Kerk, or New Church, on Delft's market square is a towering Gothic church built between 1396 and 1496. It was the second parish church in Delft, hence the name "New Church". Originally a Catholic church dedicated to St. Ursula, it became a Protestant church in the 16th Century during the Reformation. The was the first church we had the opportunity to visit in The Netherlands. (An admission fee included both the Nieuwe Kerk and the Oude Kerk.) The interior is Gothic in design, majestic, but very plain and unadorned. (The Iconoclast movement in the 16th century removed
Delftware Painter
Delftware painter at work at Royal Delft.
DSC_0985 the Catholic statuary and decoration.) The focus of Reformed worship is the wooden pulpit in the centre of the Nave. A pipe organ installed in 1839 is in the organ loft. The organist was rehearsing while we were here, adding to the experience. The most striking feature of the interior is the Mausoleum of William of Orange, located in the Choir. At first, one might think it is a highly decorated altar. But it is a monument to, and resting place of, William of Orange (1533-1584). He is considered to be the founder of the Netherlands, as he led resistance again Spanish rule. He was assassinated in Delft and his body brought to the Nieuwe Kerk. The States General of the United Provinces commissioned the memorial, designed by Hendrick de Keyser and completed in 1621. It is in black and white marble, with five bronze figures. William's sarcophagus is in the center, covered by a canopy with four corner figures representing Liberty, Justice, Religion and Valour. A winged figure with a trumpet stands on one foot at the rear. I was most struck by the figure of Liberty. She holds a hat with the inscription
Aurea Libertas (Golden Liberty). I
Vessels Before and After Firing
Painted Delftware vessels before and after firing. Royal Delft factory, De Porceleyne Fles.
DSC_0983 believe it is William of Orange's hat. It looks something like a cowboy hat. I realized that photos I had seen of Dutch people wearing what looked like orange cowboy hats were not that at all. They are William of Orange hats!
Members are the Dutch royal family since William of Orange are buried in the Royal Crypt below the church. The Royal Crypt is not open to the public, but an interpretive display describes its layout and those buried there. (The most recent interment was Queen Juliana in 2004.) The stained glass windows were installed in the mid-20th century. (The original stained glass windows were destroyed in an explosion in 1654.) I especially liked the William & Mary window. This window commemorates Stadholder Willem III van Oranje who married Mary, the daughter of James II. He became William III of England and she Mary II during the Glorious Revolution. The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia is named for them and Williamsburg itself named for William III.
Soon it was time to rejoin the group and board teh morotorcoach for nearby Den
Clay Pieces
Clay pieces before forming.
DSC_1011 Haag (The Hague).
The Hague is the administrative capital of The Netherlands as well as host of a number of United Nations agencies. We drove by the many of the administrative buildings. A stop were made at the Peace Palace. I found the Peace Palace (
Vredepalaeis) very interesting. It was funded by American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie (who also founded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) and completed in 1913. The idea of a permanent site for a court of international arbitration grew out of The Hague Peace Conference of 1899. Today it is a center of international law and seat of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the UN International Court of Justice.
Another stop was at the Paleis Noordeinde (Noordeinde Palace). The palace is used as an office by King Willem-Alexander and for hosting state functions. I could only see the outside, as the palace is not open to the public. Facing the palace is an equestrian statue of William the Silent (William of Orange). He led the 16th century revolt against Spanish Hapsburg rule in what is now The Netherlands and Belgium. Near William is a modern monument to Queen Wilhelmina (1880-1962). She was Queen
Shaped Vessels
Shaped Delft vessels before painting and firing.
DSC_1007 during World Wars I and II and during the period of Dutch decolonization. I like most modern sculpture, but can't say her statue is flattering. (It is meant to represent her as she appeared at the end of World War II).
We returned to Amsterdam in the afternoon.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Delft
We enjoyed our time in this town. Thanks for the memory.