De middeleeuwse bedelordearchitectuur in Nederland

Mendicant architecture in the Netherlands, from the 13th to the early 16th century, exhibited distinct characteristics that set it apart from parish and collegiate churches. The study reveals a preference for simplicity, with buildings lacking towers, transepts, or radiating chapels, and using economical materials like stone, brick, and wood. Despite this 'poverty' in structural elements, the interiors were adorned with rich furnishings, including tombs, altars with retables, stained glass windows, and paintings, often gifted by burghers and confraternities. The research, based on a two-year fellowship at Leiden University, analyzed 57 friaries across 43 Dutch towns, using dendrochronological studies and archaeological excavations to reconstruct the growth process of these churches. It identified two main building waves: an early phase with aisled basilicas featuring polygonal choirs and ribbed vaults, and a later 15th-century wave dominated by hall-churches with wooden barrel vaults. The study also highlighted the functional division between the choir for liturgical offices and the preaching area for public use, including burials and civil meetings.

Coomans, T. (2002). De middeleeuwse bedelordearchitectuur in Nederland. Bulletin KNOB, Bulletin KNOB 101 (2002) 6. https://doi.org/10.7480/KNOB.101.2002.6.314