St. Salvator's Church
Encyclopedia
The Sint-Salvator church (also called the Old-Munster church) was one of the five collegiate chapters
in the Dutch city of Utrecht
. The others were the Dom Church, the St. Peter's Church
, the St. John's church
and the St. Mary's church
. The St. Salvator church was situated on the present-day Dom square right next to the Dom Church. The St. Salvator church was demolished following the Protestant Reformation
, as a result of the outlawing of Catholicism in the Dutch Republic
in 1587.
, after he had received his mission from pope Sergius I. The patron saint
of the church, Salvator, is a possible reference to the Basilica of St. John Lateran
, the ecclesiastical seat of the Pope and the mother church
of the Catholic Church, as this church was at first also dedicated to St. Salvator. The name Salvator means savior and is a direct reference to Jesus the Savior
.
During the second world war, the location of the former church was subject to archaeological research. At the site of the former Crossing
, on the axis of the church, wall-restants and limestone tombs were found. From the positioning of the remnants it was concluded that the eastern annex of the church had been found. By studying the groundplan of the second church (which included a very broad and extremely short nave and a heavy tower), the dimensions of the connecting hall were deduced. The original St. Salvatorchurch was in design a large single-nave church from ca. 12 by 18 meter, with on the east side a built-on annex, that had a similar rectangular shape of about 9 by 12 meter.
The eastern annex possibly served as a choir, but from the large amount of tombs found within the walls of this part of the building, it was also used as a grave chapel
.
The St. Salvator church was located southwest of a second, small church, that was known from the 12th-century on as the Holy-Crosschapel, which was demolished in 1826. This chapel was most likely the original St. Martin's church. Until the 10th century, these two churches formed what is called a double cathedral. Whether the churches did function as a cathedral is not fully clear. From around 750 the St. Martin's church became the primate church, and from then on was known as the St. Martin's Cathedral, the direct predecessor of the later Dom Church.
(918-976). What exactly was done is not clear. A new grave-room might have been added to the eastern side. Balderic most likely paid more attention to the construction of the new Dom Church to replace the old one. Under Balderic's third successor, Ansfried of Utrecht
(995-1010), the St. Salvator church was largely rebuilt. The hall was cut into two. On the western half a westwork
was erected after the example of the westwork at the Palatine Chapel in Aachen
. The eastern half was transformed into a basilic
layout by adding aisles. The eastern annex choir was maintained. In this form the St. Salvator church may have acted as the bishopric's palatine church. Similar churches were also built elsewhere from around 1000. They served to represent the bishop and his court.
Bishop Bernold made an end to the status of palatine church. The St. Salvator church was reformed into a chapter
church, and the St. Martin's church was upgraded to cathedral status, becoming the seat of the bishop of Utrecht. Bernold and his successor William I adjusted the St. Salvator church to its new function, once more modifying and expanding it. The old eastern annex was taken down and replaced by a transept
, whereby the eastern side received a prestigious, very deep, three-sided closed choir. Below this choir was a spacious crypt, that was accessible through side-chapels at the sides of the choir. Its layout corresponded to the other churches Bernold had built. The only difference, the extremely deep choir, seemed to be a reference to the special status of the church as burial place for the first bishops of Utrecht, amongst them Saint Boniface
(who had never been bishop of Utrecht but was considered as such in medieval times).
The highaltar was at first dedicated to Christ the Savior. The altar at the northern side-chapel was dedicated to Mary, and the southern chapel to John the Baptist
. Together these altars represented the crucifixion and salvation of Christ. The highalter was also dedicated to Boniface, who had died as a martyr in 754 at Dokkum
. Below the highaltar, in the crypt, there was an altar dedicated to Saint Stephen
, considered the first martyr of Christendom. In front of this altar laid the grave of the early bishop Frederick of Utrecht
, who had been murdered in the St. Salvator church in 835, according to legend because of his criticism of empress Judith of Bavaria
.
Around this time the St. Salvator church was given its own chapter
and immunity from civil law in favor of canon law. This immunity also extended to the houses of the canons
and the Holy-Cross chapel, which, as stated above, can be identified as the original St. Martin's church, and was eventually rebuilt as a cathedral by bishop Balderic of Utrecht
.
In 1131 and 1253 the St. Salvator church was damaged by fire, but restored in both cases.
-stone basilica
with a deep choir, a transept and short nave, and a westwork
with two towers. While the 10th-century nave and westwork, and 11th-century choir and transept were Romanesque
, the church was later adapted to the Gothic
style. Several new structures were also built, such as a school at the southern side of the tower and a library on the southern side of the choir.
A map and construction drawings of the church in its final form were made by Aernout van Buchel
. These drawings, which have been preserved, were made either shortly before or after the demolition of the church in 1587-1588. Another source is a description made by the canon
Jan Mersman in 1592 of the by then torn down church. Not much remains of the church. Most of its fundament has also been removed. Today one can see the outlines of the choir and part of the transept in the paving of the Domplein, the square in front of the Dom Church.
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
in the Dutch city of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
. The others were the Dom Church, the St. Peter's Church
Pieterskerk, Utrecht
The Pieterskerk is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the Dutch city of Utrecht, dedicated to Peter the Apostle. Its construction began in 1039 and it was inaugurated on 1 May 1048 by Bernold, Bishop of Utrecht...
, the St. John's church
St. John's Church
St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, may refer to the following churches, former churches or other places:-Australia:* St. John's Church of England, Cook's Hill, Newcastle, New South Wales...
and the St. Mary's church
St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, may refer to:-Albania:*St. Mary's Monastery Church, Dhivër*St. Mary's Church, Elbasan*St. Mary's Monastery, Goranxi...
. The St. Salvator church was situated on the present-day Dom square right next to the Dom Church. The St. Salvator church was demolished following the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, as a result of the outlawing of Catholicism in the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in 1587.
The first St. Salvator church
The first St. Salvator church was established possibly around 695, its presence was definitely established by 724. It was established by WillibrordWillibrord
__notoc__Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands...
, after he had received his mission from pope Sergius I. The patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of the church, Salvator, is a possible reference to the Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
, the ecclesiastical seat of the Pope and the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Catholic Church, as this church was at first also dedicated to St. Salvator. The name Salvator means savior and is a direct reference to Jesus the Savior
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
During the second world war, the location of the former church was subject to archaeological research. At the site of the former Crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
, on the axis of the church, wall-restants and limestone tombs were found. From the positioning of the remnants it was concluded that the eastern annex of the church had been found. By studying the groundplan of the second church (which included a very broad and extremely short nave and a heavy tower), the dimensions of the connecting hall were deduced. The original St. Salvatorchurch was in design a large single-nave church from ca. 12 by 18 meter, with on the east side a built-on annex, that had a similar rectangular shape of about 9 by 12 meter.
The eastern annex possibly served as a choir, but from the large amount of tombs found within the walls of this part of the building, it was also used as a grave chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
.
The St. Salvator church was located southwest of a second, small church, that was known from the 12th-century on as the Holy-Crosschapel, which was demolished in 1826. This chapel was most likely the original St. Martin's church. Until the 10th century, these two churches formed what is called a double cathedral. Whether the churches did function as a cathedral is not fully clear. From around 750 the St. Martin's church became the primate church, and from then on was known as the St. Martin's Cathedral, the direct predecessor of the later Dom Church.
Restoration and rebuilding in later times
The St. Salvator church was restored and possibly expanded during the lengthy episcopate of bishop Balderic of UtrechtBalderic of Utrecht
Balderic was Bishop of Utrecht from 918 to 975.Balderic descended from the Counts of Hainaut. He was a cousin of Duke Gilbert of Lorraine and the uncle of Bishop Balderic of Liège...
(918-976). What exactly was done is not clear. A new grave-room might have been added to the eastern side. Balderic most likely paid more attention to the construction of the new Dom Church to replace the old one. Under Balderic's third successor, Ansfried of Utrecht
Ansfried of Utrecht
Saint Ansfried of Utrecht was Count of Huy and the sword-bearer for Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor....
(995-1010), the St. Salvator church was largely rebuilt. The hall was cut into two. On the western half a westwork
Westwork
A westwork is the monumental, west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior includes an entrance vestibule, a chapel, and a series of galleries overlooking the nave...
was erected after the example of the westwork at the Palatine Chapel in Aachen
Palatine Chapel in Aachen
The Palatine Chapel is an Early Medieval chapel that is the remaining component of Charlemagne's Palace of Aachen. Although the palace no longer exists, the chapel has been incorporated into the Aachen Cathedral, Germany. It is the city's major landmark and the central monument of the Carolingian...
. The eastern half was transformed into a basilic
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
layout by adding aisles. The eastern annex choir was maintained. In this form the St. Salvator church may have acted as the bishopric's palatine church. Similar churches were also built elsewhere from around 1000. They served to represent the bishop and his court.
Bishop Bernold made an end to the status of palatine church. The St. Salvator church was reformed into a chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
church, and the St. Martin's church was upgraded to cathedral status, becoming the seat of the bishop of Utrecht. Bernold and his successor William I adjusted the St. Salvator church to its new function, once more modifying and expanding it. The old eastern annex was taken down and replaced by a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, whereby the eastern side received a prestigious, very deep, three-sided closed choir. Below this choir was a spacious crypt, that was accessible through side-chapels at the sides of the choir. Its layout corresponded to the other churches Bernold had built. The only difference, the extremely deep choir, seemed to be a reference to the special status of the church as burial place for the first bishops of Utrecht, amongst them Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid, Wynfrith, or Wynfryth in the kingdom of Wessex, probably at Crediton , was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. He is the patron saint of Germany and the first archbishop of Mainz...
(who had never been bishop of Utrecht but was considered as such in medieval times).
The highaltar was at first dedicated to Christ the Savior. The altar at the northern side-chapel was dedicated to Mary, and the southern chapel to John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
. Together these altars represented the crucifixion and salvation of Christ. The highalter was also dedicated to Boniface, who had died as a martyr in 754 at Dokkum
Dokkum
Dokkum is a Dutch fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel in the province of Friesland. It has 13,145 inhabitants . The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken . - History :...
. Below the highaltar, in the crypt, there was an altar dedicated to Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, considered the first martyr of Christendom. In front of this altar laid the grave of the early bishop Frederick of Utrecht
Frederick of Utrecht
Frederick I was Bishop of Utrecht between 815/816 and 834/838, and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.Frederick was born around 780 in Friesland and was a grandson of the Frisian King Radboud. According to the Catholic Church, he died on July 18, 838, but other sources give dates between 834 and...
, who had been murdered in the St. Salvator church in 835, according to legend because of his criticism of empress Judith of Bavaria
Judith of Bavaria
Judith , was Duchess of Bavaria. She was the eldest daughter of Arnulf the Bad of Bavaria and Judith of Sülichgau....
.
Around this time the St. Salvator church was given its own chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
and immunity from civil law in favor of canon law. This immunity also extended to the houses of the canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
and the Holy-Cross chapel, which, as stated above, can be identified as the original St. Martin's church, and was eventually rebuilt as a cathedral by bishop Balderic of Utrecht
Balderic of Utrecht
Balderic was Bishop of Utrecht from 918 to 975.Balderic descended from the Counts of Hainaut. He was a cousin of Duke Gilbert of Lorraine and the uncle of Bishop Balderic of Liège...
.
In 1131 and 1253 the St. Salvator church was damaged by fire, but restored in both cases.
The final church
In its final form, the St. Salvator church was a TuffTuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
-stone basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
with a deep choir, a transept and short nave, and a westwork
Westwork
A westwork is the monumental, west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior includes an entrance vestibule, a chapel, and a series of galleries overlooking the nave...
with two towers. While the 10th-century nave and westwork, and 11th-century choir and transept were Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, the church was later adapted to the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. Several new structures were also built, such as a school at the southern side of the tower and a library on the southern side of the choir.
A map and construction drawings of the church in its final form were made by Aernout van Buchel
Aernout van Buchel
Aernout van Buchel was a Dutch antiquarian and humanist, specialising in Genealogy and Heraldry.-Life:...
. These drawings, which have been preserved, were made either shortly before or after the demolition of the church in 1587-1588. Another source is a description made by the canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
Jan Mersman in 1592 of the by then torn down church. Not much remains of the church. Most of its fundament has also been removed. Today one can see the outlines of the choir and part of the transept in the paving of the Domplein, the square in front of the Dom Church.
External links
- Initiatief Domplein 2013(Dutch)
- Salvatorkerk in Collectie Utrecht(Dutch)