International Rabbit 5/26/2011

 Tour of the Tombs of the Domkerk Church of Utrecht, The Netherlands
By Henk van Kampen

In many European countries, the dead were once buried in and around the church. The graves around the Domkerk in Utrecht, The Netherlands, have long disappeared, but inside there are still many interesting tombs and cenotaphs.
The Domkerk church was once the cathedral of Utrecht, but since the reformation in the 16th century it is a protestant church.
Please come inside for a short tour.

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Near the entrance, behind the baptismal font, is the grave of Johannes Proys, deacon and canon of the Domkerk, who died in 1482. After 500 years, the grave stone is somewhat worn, and the text is hard to read, but apparently the (Latin) text reads:

Anno Domini MCCCCLXXXII die XIX obiit venerabilis et egregius vir dominus Johannes Proys decanus hujus majoris ecclesia cujus anima requiescat in pace (In the year of our Lord 1482 on 19 [December] died the honourable and excellent man sir Johannes Proys deacon of this cathedral whose soul may rest in peace).

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The oldest grave in this church is the tomb of Guy van Avesnes, who died almost seven centuries ago. Guy, born c.1253, came from an important family. His brother Jan (John) was count of Holland and of Hainault, a very influential person in this region. Thanks to Jan's influence, Guy became bishop of Utrecht in 1301.
Guy died in 1317, and he was interred in what was then the cathedral of Utrecht. We can still see his tomb, but unfortunately it was heavily damaged during the reformation iconoclasm in the 16th century. Guy's face is damaged, and many of the faces of the people on the sides of the tomb are missing.

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Joris (or George) van Egmond was born in 1504 in Egmond. He was the son of Count Jan (John) III of Egmond. Joris became bishop of Utrecht in 1534. Bishop Joris died in 1559 in St. Amand (France), where he was buried. His heart was sent to Utrecht and placed in this cenotaph.
The cenotaph has the form of an arch. There was a statue of the bishop in the centre, but this statue is now lost. The arch is decorated with the coats of arms of bishop Joris and his ancestors. In the middle you can read the bishop's motto, Exerce pietatem (Exercise piety).
The Latin text at the bottom of the arch requests a mass for Joris van Egmond be held each first Thursday of the month, forever. It describes in detail how, when, and by whom the mass should be celebrated.

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I had some problems taking photos of the beautiful tomb of Willem Joseph van Gendt, as the area in front of his tomb was closed off when I was there. I could get close to the tomb, but I could not take photos from some distance.
Van Gendt was a Dutch vice-admiral. He was killed at sea, at the battle of Solebay, during the third Anglo-Dutch war. He was not only vice-admiral, but also canon of this church, that's why his tomb is here in the church.
The tomb was made by sculptor Rombout Verhulst, a Flemish-Dutch sculptor who is famous for his beautiful tomb monuments.

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With Van Gendt I end my tour of the Domkerk church. There are, however, many more tombs here. If you ever come to Holland, please come to Utrecht (just a short train ride from Amsterdam) and go and visit this church.