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| The Delft Staidhuis (town hall) dates to 1618 |
Monday, April 18, 2022
Our first major stop, after a 15 km ride, was the town of Delft, known for its Delft Blue pottery, as the home of the artist Vermeer, and as the final resting place of William of Orange. We rode along the canals to reach the Markt - the town's central square - which is anchored on one side by the Staidhuis - town hall - and on the other side by the Nieuwe Kerk - the New Church. Our guide, Willem, was full of information about the history and culture of the town.
Delft is also the home of Delft University of Technology, established in 1842. It is ranked among the top 10 engineering schools in the world and is a renowned center of civil engineering, especially for hydrology and water/wind management.
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| The Markt is the central square in the town of Delft. |
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| Willem serves as our bike tour leader, as well as our cultural and historic guide. |
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| Construction of the Nieuwe Kerk began in 1383; the Gothic tower was finished in 1872. |
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| The Town Hall (Stadhuis) faces the New Church, across each other in the Markt square |
The streets of Delft are fun to bike - wide bike lanes along the canals. Michael and I saw a painting by Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, The Little Street, of his aunt's house in Delft from the 1600's. The town buildings look the same today, in many ways. |
| Vermeer's The Little Street - a scene from his aunt's house in Delft in the 1600s. |
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| Biking along Delft's canals |
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| Many buildings were constructed after 1658, when an armory explosion wiped out much of Delft |
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| Delft street scenes |
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| If there's a Niewe Kerk, there must be an Oude Kerk - and this is it. |
Delft is strongly associated with William of Orange (1533-1584), known as the "father of the Netherlands." William led the resistance against Spanish rule in the Eighty Years War. He made his headquarters in Delft, in 1572, in a convent in the city center. His leadership is credited with establishing religious freedom and tolerance and independence for the Dutch people.
He was assassinated in 1584, by order of Philip II of Spain. The bullet holes can still be seen in the staircase of his headquarters, which is now the Museum Prinsenhof. He is buried in the Niewe Kerk. His House of Orange played a powerful role in establishing Dutch rule, and after the Napoleonic Wars, William I, Prince of Orange, became the king of the Netherlands. The House of Orange is still the royal family and their royal burial place is at the Nieuwe Kerk.
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| The Prinsenhof Museum and gardens, original headquarters of William of Orange |
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| A statue of William of Orange, also known as William the Silent - not so with our guide Willem |
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| The Gothic spires of Prinsenhof, with the tower of the Oude Kerk looming behind |
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| Tulips at the Prinsenhof |
The beloved and famous painter Vermeer, was based in Delft (1632-75). He is also known as the Sphinx of Delft, because he's an enigma and little is known of his life. He only painted 40-some known works, and the city of Delft isn't rich enough to afford any of them. Instead, they have a lovely Vermeer Centrum which displays life size copies of all his works. |
| The Vermeer Centrum - with a window reproduction of The Milkmaid |
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| Vermeer's painting of Delft (copied here from a photo) |
In the US, most of us know of Delft because of its famous blue and white Delftware. During the height of its trading years, many Dutch families imported porcelain from China, as well as spices from Indonesia. In 1620, exports of Chinese porcelain dropped dramatically due to internal troubles in China. The craftsmen in Delft began manufacturing their own products, imitating the Chinese styles. Delftware became desirable for its beautiful hand painting and delicate patterns. |
| Examples of Delft porcelain in the Rijksmuseum, including this (non-playing) violin |
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| Our colleague Debbie purchased this beautiful platter - a reproduction of classic works |
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| Our bike route from Schiedam to Delft |
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