Begijnhof en kapel

Beguinage and Begijnhof Chapel

A unique silence in the big city!

Description

The Beguinage lies hidden away from the noisy shopping street Kalverstraat, next to the History Museum. The English Reformed Church and an earlier Italian Catholic chapel can be found here. Most of the houses in the area were built in the 17th century; the oldest house in Amsterdam made of wood, dating from 1475, is also here. Wooden houses slowly disappeared because the city forbade construction in order to prevent fire in the densely populated inner city. The little courtyards were created by small, religious communities in an attempt to retreat from the world and live their own isolated and devoted lives. The Begijnen - a Catholic order - was only tolerated after the Reformation in the 16th century. Only single women are allowed in the Begijnhof to lead the life of a nun.