City Hall (Delft)
Encyclopedia
The City Hall in Delft
is a Renaissance style building on the Markt across from the Nieuwe Kerk
. It is the former seat of the city's government, and still today the place where residents hold their civic wedding ceremonies. Originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser
, it was heavily changed over the centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance appearance.
(1595-1623), a native of Delft. The oldest part of the complex is the tower covered in "Gobertanger" limestone
from Wallonia, a building material used often in important renaissance buildings in the Netherlands up to 1600. The tower, called "De Steen" or "The Stone", was originally built around 1300 and has decorative clockfaces from 1536 and the bells were made by Hendrick van Trier and Francois Hemony. The facade has a "Justitia" statue. Under the tower is an old city prison where the assassin of Willem the Silent, Balthasar Gérard
, was kept before sentencing.
Up the stairway and immediately behind the heavy wooden entrance doors is the Vierschaar, with a decorative painting of the Judgment of Solomon
by Pieter van Bronckhorst
.
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
is a Renaissance style building on the Markt across from the Nieuwe Kerk
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark Protestant church in Delft, Netherlands. The building is located on Delft Market Square , opposite to the City Hall . In 1584, William the Silent was entombed here in a mausoleum designed by Hendrick and Pieter de Keyser. Since then members of the House of Orange-Nassau...
. It is the former seat of the city's government, and still today the place where residents hold their civic wedding ceremonies. Originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser
Hendrick de Keyser
Hendrick de Keyser was a Dutch sculptor and architect born in Utrecht, Netherlands, who was instrumental in establishing a late Renaissance form of Mannerism in Amsterdam...
, it was heavily changed over the centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance appearance.
History
In the town hall from 1618 are some group portraits, and portraits of the counts of Orange and Nassau, including several by Michiel van Mierevelt (1567-1641), one of the earliest Dutch portrait painters, and with his son PieterPieter van Mierevelt
Pieter Mierevelt was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:Mierevelt was born in the city of Delft. According to Houbraken he was one of two sons of Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt who died early, whose works were such that they could easily pass for his father's...
(1595-1623), a native of Delft. The oldest part of the complex is the tower covered in "Gobertanger" limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from Wallonia, a building material used often in important renaissance buildings in the Netherlands up to 1600. The tower, called "De Steen" or "The Stone", was originally built around 1300 and has decorative clockfaces from 1536 and the bells were made by Hendrick van Trier and Francois Hemony. The facade has a "Justitia" statue. Under the tower is an old city prison where the assassin of Willem the Silent, Balthasar Gérard
Balthasar Gérard
Balthasar Gérard was the assassin of the Dutch independence leader, William I of Orange...
, was kept before sentencing.
Up the stairway and immediately behind the heavy wooden entrance doors is the Vierschaar, with a decorative painting of the Judgment of Solomon
Judgment of Solomon
The Judgment of Solomon refers to a story from the Hebrew Bible in which King Solomon of Israel ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child. It has become a metaphor referring to a wise judge who uses a stratagem to determine the truth, tricking the parties into revealing...
by Pieter van Bronckhorst
Pieter van Bronckhorst
Pieter Anthonisz van Bronckhorst or Bronkhorst , was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:According to Houbraken he was born at Delft in 1588. He excelled in painting the interiors of churches and temples, which he ornamented with small figures representing historical subjects...
.