Basilica di San Nicola
أمستردام
The St Nicholas Basilica, opposite the station, is the church of Amsterdam's patron saint. It was finished in 1887 and has a dome 58 metres tall.
A church for the patron saint
St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, has been the patron saint of Amsterdam for more than seven centuries. The church was built when Catholics, after years of hidden churches, could once again pray in public.
The architect Adrianus Bleijs made an unusual choice. In those years almost all new Dutch Catholic churches were built in the Gothic style, but he chose other forms.
What to look at
From the street you can see the two towers and, in the middle, a large rose window. Behind them rises the dome, 58 metres tall, with its lantern.
Inside, paintings by Jan Dunselman cover the walls from floor to ceiling. There is also a large instrument from 1889, built by Wilhelm Sauer.
From the station bank you get a good view of the whole dome and its lantern. The two towers on the front have helmet-shaped roofs, like knights' helmets.
A church that was saved
Around 1975 the church was at risk of closing. A group of volunteers saved it and started the restoration. In 2012 it became a basilica. Today it is also a co-cathedral, meaning another seat of the bishop.
