Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk

The Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk is the largest church in Alkmaar and one of the great late Gothic buildings of North Holland. It stands near the Waagplein and the canals, with a tall tower that rises over the centre, and it is a Reformed Protestant church that is no longer used for regular services but is open to visitors for much of the summer. The church was built between the 1470s and the early 1500s in the Brabantine Gothic style, named after the region in the south where this elaborate form of Gothic architecture developed, and it brings a southern grandeur to a northern town.

The architect associated with the building was Anthonis Keldermans, a member of a famous family of master builders from Mechelen, who worked on large churches and town halls across the Low Countries. The church is a basilica, with a tall central nave and lower aisles, and the nave is covered by a wooden vault. The tower, with its slim spire, was built in stages, and the whole structure reflects the wealth of Alkmaar in the late Middle Ages, when the town was a thriving centre of trade.

The interior holds treasures that make the visit worthwhile. The church has two historic organs that can still be played. The Van Covelens organ, dating from the early sixteenth century, is among the oldest in the country, and the Schnitger organ, built in the early eighteenth century by Franz Caspar Schnitger, is a masterpiece of Baroque organ building. Concerts take place on both, and the church is a notable venue for organ music. The ceiling of the vault is painted with a scene of the Last Judgement by the artist Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, which is a rare survival of medieval vault painting.

The church also has a place in the memory of the siege of 1573, when the town resisted a Spanish army and helped to turn the tide of the early years of the Dutch revolt. The Reformation had arrived in the town a few years earlier, and the church was cleared of its Catholic decoration, though some of the grandeur survives.

Opening times are seasonal, with limited days in spring and longer hours in summer, and the church is closed in winter. Entry is usually free apart from special events and concerts, but donations are welcome. The church suits visitors interested in architecture, music and history, and it combines well with the cheese market and the canals.