Sacred Destinations

An illustrated guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, sacred art and historic religious places around the world.
Bookmark This Page

Pieterskerk (St Peter's Church), Leiden

Pieterskerk, Leiden
The Pieterskerk, under major renovation as of November 2006.

Pieterskerk, Leiden  Pieterskerk, Leiden
Photos © Mike Reed.



The Pieterskerk (St. Peter's Church) in Leiden is a Gothic church built between 1390 and 1565 and now deconsecrated to serve various non-religious functions.

Several Leiden notables are buried in Pieterskerk, including the Pilgrim pastor John Robinson, the theologian Jacobus Arminius and the painter Jan Steen. The memorial to John Robinson is in the octagonal baptistry in the far corner opposite the transept entrance.

The tall Pieterskerk tower at the west front of the church collapsed in 1512, but the bell was unbroken and was hung in a stubby free-standing tower at the corner of the church yard, giving the name Bell Alley or Kloksteeg to the street.

The Pieterskerkhof (Churchyard) also contains several sites of interest. Jacobus Arminius lived in a house facing the church, and the white house on the corner of the Kloksteeg was where the family of Pilgrim Thomas Rogers lived briefly while he went to America in 1620.

The house of Thomas Brewer, who provided financial support for William Brewster's printing activities, is the to the right of the almshouse on the opposite side of the Kloksteeg. The minister of the English Reformed Church, Hugh Goodyear, lived here for a while.

Quick Facts

Names: Pieterskerk; St. Peter's Church
Type of site: Christian church (Catholic then Reformed)
Status: Deconsecrated
Dates: 1390-1565
Architecture: Gothic
Address: Kloksteeg 16 2311 SL Leiden
Phone: +31 (0) 71 512 43 19
Website: www.pieterskerk.com
E-mail: post@pieterskerk.com
Hours: Currently closed for renovations (2007)
Cost: Free

Sources

  1. Personal visit (November 2006; exterior only)
  2. Pieterskerk - Leiden - official website

Sacred Destinations Home    Contact Us    About Us    About Images    Photo Prints    Advertise    Travel Blog    Spiritual Tours    Travel Blog    Timeshares    Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-08 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Dead on Display, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites