Oldenhove Tower
Oudehoofsterkerkhof Leeuwarden
De Oldehove is an unfinished church tower in the centre of the city of Leeuwarden. Like the tower in Pisa, it leans. Oldehove is also the name of an artificial mound (‘terp’ in Dutch) on which in the late 9th century a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Vitus was built. Construction of the adjoining Late Gothic tower began in 1529, after the citizens of Leeuwarden demanded a tower taller than the Martini tower in Groningen. In charge were Jacob van Aken and -after his death- Cornelis Frederiksz. During construction the tower began to sag, which the builders tried to compensate for by inserting several ‘kinks’, but the project was stopped in 1532. In 1596 the then derelict church was demolished, but the tower remained. It has a clock and two bells.
Oldenhove Tower
Oudehoofsterkerkhof Leeuwarden
De Oldehove is an unfinished church tower in the centre of the city of Leeuwarden. Like the tower in Pisa, it leans. Oldehove is also the name of an artificial mound (‘terp’ in Dutch) on which in the late 9th century a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Vitus was built. Construction of the adjoining Late Gothic tower began in 1529, after the citizens of Leeuwarden demanded a tower taller than the Martini tower in Groningen. In charge were Jacob van Aken and -after his death- Cornelis Frederiksz. During construction the tower began to sag, which the builders tried to compensate for by inserting several ‘kinks’, but the project was stopped in 1532. In 1596 the then derelict church was demolished, but the tower remained. It has a clock and two bells.