The Mariakapel was built between 1552 and 1555 on the initiative of the Vrouwenbroeders (Brothers of our blessed Lady), a religious brotherhood that worshiped Mary as its patron saint. It is the last attached chapel in the Oude Kerk, which was continuously expanded over the centuries. A highlight of the chapel is the series of stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Mary. To this day, the windows give an impressive picture of what the Mariakapel looked like in Catholic times.

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## A Catholic highlight in the Oude Kerk

The Oude Kerk was continuously expanded over the centuries, and this was largely paid for by wealthy Amsterdammers. Guilds, brotherhoods and influential families founded chapels, altars and richly decorated stained glass windows. In this way they expressed their devotion to the Catholic Church as well as their social status. The Mariakapel is a striking example of this religious and social ambition.

The highlight of the Mariakapel are the impressive stained glass windows. These windows depict scenes from the life of Mary, including the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Deathbed of Mary. They reflect the distinctly Catholic character the Oude Kerk had before the Alteration.

## The Mariakapel withstands the ravages of time


The Mariakapel was completed on the eve of the Reformation, a time when religious wars raged across Europe and Beeldenstorm - a period of iconoclast outbreaks throughout Northern Europe - left its mark on churches across the country. One of Protestantism's main criticisms of the Catholic Church was its excess of wealth and decoration, which was often paid for with indulgences - documents one could buy to obtain remission of sins. Instead, the Protestants strove for simplicity in worship and church interiors so that one could focus exclusively on the Word of God.

Against this background, it is remarkable that the very richly decorated stained glass windows of the Mariakapel survived the Protestant period. While elsewhere in the Oude Kerk altars were destroyed and vault paintings painted over, these Catholic representations were preserved - a rare and valuable remnant of the city's religious heritage.

During the restoration that began in 1955, the vault paintings were largely restored. The exposure of paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries, as with the windows in the Mariakapel, makes it possible to once again experience something of the atmosphere of the Oude Kerk during the Catholic period. Of the four vaulted fields in the Maria kapel, two could be restored. These fields depict angels, including one holding a cross and another carrying a coat of arms.

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