On a recent visit to Amsterdam, I toured the Our Lord in the Attic museum. Our Lord in the Attic is a Catholic Church that was established in 1663 in the home of a wealthy merchant when, during the Protestant Reformation, it was illegal for Catholics to practice their religion publicly. The church was one of several “schuilkerks” or “clandestine churches” that were forbidden, but tolerated, by the local government in Amsterdam. The church occupies the top three floors of the canal house and includes a residence for the priest.
Here is a model of the house.
The main entrance to the house looks out on the canal and the street.
A stair way leads up to the families living quarters.
The parlor is a remarkable room, reflecting the wealth of the merchant.
Because of the perspective of the lens, the two photos of the parlor, above, make the room appear much larger than it was. The view below from the side more accurately shows the proportions of the room.
The size of the sanctuary surprised me, with seating on the main floor of the church and in the balconies.
The church has its own pipe organ, evidence, I think that the church was tolerated. I am sure when the organist played the hymns, the sound reverberated beyond the walls of the house.
From a window in the room behind the altar, one can see the steeple of Oude Kerk (Old Church), a Reformed church in Amsterdam. The oldest structure in Amsterdam, the church building was consecrated in 1306 as a Roman Catholic church. It became a Reformed church after the Reformation in 1578.
The robes of the priest who resided above the Our Lord in the Attic church.
The priest’s bedroom.
