We resume our walking tour of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Markt at the Stadhuis (City Hall basically).
An earlier Gothic facade was replaced with this baroque beauty in 1670. The triangular pediment shows the city’s coat of arms, which is topped by the Duke’s crown.
The coat of arms is supported by two ‘savages’. On either side, the personified rivers Dommel and Aa recline against gushing amphoras, while in the corners, horns of plenty overflow with the bounty of the land.
Below, are four clockwork knights who joust with each other every half hour.
Beside the city hall is the narrowest house in the city, called “De Schietspijp” – The Gun’s Barrel”.
And just around the corner is – The Bay!
It occupies a distinctive art deco building.
We carry on down some picturesque streets and alleys.
This old shop used to to be a bakery.
A fire which swept through ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the 15th century originated in this bakery. The baker failed to properly extinguish his fire one night.
It has been suggested that the fiery inferno so traumatised the thirteen year old Jheronimous Bosch that it informs some of the more demonic scenes in his paintings.
The cafe opposite (The Little Fox) has an in-turning wall.
The imposing former Provincial Government building now houses the Noordbrabants Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.
The Provincial Government in question was not for the province of Brabant. This building was commissioned in 1768 by the city’s military governor. After the French conquered the area, it became the seat of the “provincial” government (i.e. a province of Napoleon’s French Empire) and the official residence of the French Governor.
On that occasion I didn’t go in to either museum. I just admired the statuary in the courtyard. I don’t know why this fellow has a boat on his shin.
In particular, of course, I approved of the dog.
The side wall of the Museum has old gable stones set into it.
I saw many of these trees, but don’t know their name. These were along the side wall of the museum.
At Beurdstraat we find another old statue of the Virgin Mary.
This one in the same area appears to be more modern.
In Verwersstraat, this house is called “Het Sevengester”.
This means “The Seven Star Constellation”. You have to get up close to see the seven stars set into the wall.
Just when you think you are starting to get on to Dutch names, it turns out that Peperstraat does not mean ‘Pepper Street’ as one might think. “Peper” refers to the dimensions of a plot of land.
Here we find “The Globe” house. Atlas is in the lantern, bearing the globe.
He seems alarming unsteady to me.
The former Mayor’s house is also on this street; an elegant Georgian style building.
We emerge from this street onto the Parade, and the square behind the wonderful Cathedral. The first thing to notice is the Bishop’s Palace, built in 1776.
The Cathedral itself was built between 1380 and 1520, on the site of a former Romanesque church.
Sint Jans (St. John’s) Cathedral is famous for a series of climbing figures on the flying buttresses. Both human and animals (someone thought animals go to heaven too) are trying to climb to heaven, but they are hindered by the satanic gargoyles on the waterspouts.
Two years ago, there was a huge celebration in ‘s-Hertogenbosch to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Jheronimous Bosch. Tours were offered up to the roof of the cathedral for a close up view of these figures, which are not really visible from the ground. Unfortunately, that is no longer an option.
Still, the details that can be seen are incredibly varied. Every time I walked by the cathedral, I found myself stopping and staring.
The animals look alive, going about their animal business.
Every face is different, and full of personality.
During modern restoration, additional statues were added, including one of an angel in modern dress, talking on a cell phone.
The phone only has one button – it’s a direct connection to God.
The Cathedral became Protestant in 1629, when the city was conquered by Protestant forces and Catholicism was banned. It fell into disrepair, but when Napoleon visited in 1810, he restored it to the Catholics. They were so pleased with the Emperor, they erected a statue at a side door of the Virgin Mary holding a baby Jesus who was modeled on the Emperor’s son.
The door itself is very beautifully decorated with rows of ascending saints leaning gracefully towards the Holy Mother and Child.
The Catholics obviously went to great trouble and expense to restore their beloved Cathedral. The painted interior is amazingly light and delicate.
The altar is beautiful.
There is a lantern vault.
One of the treasures in the cathedral is this cast bronze font, dating back to 1492.
The Antwerp Passion Altar is another treasure.
The Cathedral kept me entranced for hours on my multiple visits there, but our walking tour must carry on.
Right outside the Cathedral, I passed by this sculpture which was not included in the tour, so I don’t know what its deal is – particularly why the bull has human legs. The Minotaur maybe?
Near the Cathedral is the Museum Slager, which is the venue for the works of eight local painters, spanning three generations.
‘S-Hertogenbosch was the home town of the painter Jheronimous Bosch.
Visual references to his works are everywhere. When I first saw this frog wearing a hat, sitting in a chair in the river and apparently devouring something or someone, I thought it was another Oedeldonk carnival piece. But no, it’s a shoutout to Bosch.
I believe there was another tour you could follow to find them all.
I preferred to come upon them unawares.
On the walking tour, I got to the Jheronimous Bosch gardens.
It amused me to find this replica of a Bosch image right outside the playground here.
This garden occupies space that was formerly a paddock for horses belonging to a monastery.
Opposite the garden is St. Joseph’s church, dating from 1859.
This neo-gothic building belonged to the Catholic sect known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). When they moved to bigger premises elsewhere, the church was sold and is now used as a venue for meetings, functions and parties.
It is called the Orangerie.
I had already passed by it, and was fortunate to find that it happened to be open on that occasion. The lady on desk duty at the front invited me to go in and have a look around.
Hip young people were bustling around preparing for some sort of fashion event. The juxtaposition of neo-gothic architecture with blown up photos of fashion models was rather surreal.
It was good introduction to the next thing on the tour; the Oeteldonk GeminteMuzejum.
This little museum is dedicated to the Oteldonk festival, ‘s-Hertogenbosch’s version of Carnivale. In the upside down way of Carnivale, it is perhaps appropriate that the building it occupies is the renovated gatehouse of the convent of the Sisters of Orthen, dating from the middle ages.
On my way out I passed a beautifully painted house. I don’t know if this is another Bosch reference. I suspect so.
If the Jheronimous Bosch Art Centre (in another old church) had been open, perhaps I would have been able to check.
Sadly, it was closed for the winter.
I walked back to the other end of the historic area of ‘s-Hertogenbosch to find Gasselstraat. No, this isn’t where the gasworks were. ‘Gassel’ is a corruption of the old Dutch word for ‘hospital’. The first hospital in the city was here, until it was moved in the early 1400s.
This was once the entrance to the main hospital after it was moved from Gasselstraat.
In Korte Waterstraat, we turn down an alley which opens out into a small sort of landing with a group of statues; a pair of courtly lovers, a jester, and above the fountain, “Dieske”, a small boy who liked to pee into the Binnendieze.
It’s a rather odd grouping to my eye.
Why would lovers choose to stand in close proximity to a urinating child?
One day when Dieske was standing on the town walls engaged in his favourite bladder emptying occupation, he saw soldiers approaching the town. He rushed to warn the town officials. Thanks to Dieske’s warning, they had time enough to sound the alarm and close the city gates. Thus Dieske became a hero of ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Back in the Markt, we are invited to pause to admire this unicorn in the fanlight of an apothecary shop.
The tour concludes with “De Kleine Winst” house, where Jheronimous Bosch lived and learned to paint.
Jheronimous himself gazes benevolently over the town where he created such incredible works of imaginative art.
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