traveldk.com

Before the Alteration, the Beguines worshipped in this pretty 15th-century church. Confiscated in 1578, it was let in 1607 to a group of English and Scottish Presbyterians, who renamed it.

The city’s first clandestine chapel was created in 1665, when the Beguines converted two ordinary houses into a little church (see Museum Amstelkring). The Miracle of Amsterdam (see Moments in Amsterdam's History) is commemorated here.

No. 34, Het Houten Huis, is the oldest house in Amsterdam, and one of only two woodfronted houses in the city. It predates the 1521 ban on the construction of wooden houses, introduced to reduce the risk of fire.

Set into the wall of the courtyard behind Het Houten Huis is a remarkable collection of wall plaques salvaged from demolished houses. In keeping with the religious nature of the Beguines, each one tells a Biblical story.

The grandest house, No. 26, belonged to the Mother Superior. In the 20th century, the last of the Beguines lived together here.

After several devastating fires, most of the existing houses were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are typically tall and narrow, with large sash windows and spout or neck gables. They were the property of the sisterhood, so if a Beguine left or died, outsiders could not claim her house. Today they provide homes for 100 or so single women.

The statue shows a Beguine dressed in her traditionalfalie (headdress) and long garment of undyed cloth.

To make amends for her family’s conversion to Protestantism, Cornelia Arents requested in her will not to be buried in the church, but in the gutter outside. Her coffin was left inside the church on 2 May 1654, but the following day it had miraculously moved outside, where she was eventually buried. A plaque marks the spot.

This handsome plaque illustrates the return from Egypt to Israel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph after the death of Herod.

Members of the public use the arched entrance from Gedempte Begijnensloot, but be sure to peep discreetly into the pretty vaulted and tiled passageway leading to Spui.