St. Lievensmonster Toren
The Sint-Lievensmonstertoren in Zierikzee is the only remnant of the former Sint-Lievensmonster church. The church was built between 1454 and 1530 and burned down in 1832. Only the tower survived the fire. The design of the church tower was by the Brabant architect Andries I Keldermans (1400-1488). The tower was supposed to be the highest in the Netherlands, but never reached the intended 130 meters. Nowadays you can climb the tower and enjoy the view.
Location
Zierikzee
Year built
between 1454 and 1530
Architect
Andries I Keldermans
Building Style
Gothic
Past function
St. Lievensmonster church tower
Special feature
it should have been the highest tower in the Netherlands
Owned by Monumentenbezit
Since 2016
Wheelchair accessible
Yes, first floor
Visitor information
You can visit the tower through cultural center Centree.
Visiting address:
Kerkplein 2, 4301 EE Zierikzee
The foundation of the Sint-Lievensmonstertoren was laid in 1454, according to plans by architect Andries I Keldermans. After construction had been halted for some time, probably due to the city fire of 1466, construction continued without interruption from around 1470.
The Sint-Lievensmonstertoren consists of several million bricks. The exterior is covered with various types of natural stone. During the construction of the tower, the natural stone was brought in from various regions. For example, the Flemish white bluestone or Lede stone was used for the buttresses and pinnacles. From around 1490, Bentheimer sandstone from the county of the same name was used. A blue coal limestone was also used, which comes from the Hainaut quarries of, among others, Écaussinnes s. This stone is referred to as blue bluestone or Escosine stone.
After the death of Andries I Keldermans, his son Anthonis I was appointed as master builder. Around 1506, the tower had almost reached its current height of 62 metres. That was not even half of the planned 130 metres. Anthonis I Keldermans died in 1512, but was only succeeded by his son Rombout II Keldermans in 1529. Presumably, the city only then had enough financial resources to continue the construction of the tower. He made a design for a cornice, a balustrade and a spire. However, Rombout II died in 1531. A suitable successor was not found and the design was not further implemented, apart from the addition of a projecting sandstone cornice.
Although the Sint-Lievensmonstertoren never reached its intended height, the tower has had many functions related to its height. In addition to being a bell tower, the tower also had several social functions. For example, the tower served as a beacon for ships and as a lookout and watch post, and the bells were not only rung to indicate that the church service was about to begin, but also to warn.
The Constitution of 1798 stipulated that church towers would fall under the authority of the local government because of their social functions. The Sint-Lievensmonstertoren thus became the property of the municipality of Zierikzee.
During the French period, a signalling device was placed on top of the tower for a while. In 1867, the tower served as a storage place for petroleum. In 1910, the passage between the stair tower and the roof was put into use as a guard room for the navy. During the Second World War, the tower was used by German soldiers as a lookout post. After the flood disaster of 1953, two basket-shaped antennas were placed on the tower for a radiotelegraphic connection with Goes.
The Commission for Monuments of History and Art was established in 1874. The College of State Advisors included Victor de Stuers and Pierre Cuypers. On 19 August 1875, De Stuers and Cuypers issued a report on the Sint-Lievensmonstertoren. According to De Stuers and Cuypers, the tower was in a deplorable condition.
The municipality of Zierikzee could no longer afford the high maintenance costs. In 1879, the municipality of Zierikzee then asked the government to take over the tower. On condition that the municipality would pay half of the estimated restoration costs. On 23 May 1881, the municipal council of Zierikzee agreed to this, and on 1 January 1882, the tower was transferred to the government. EJ Margry was appointed as architect. Cuypers acted as supervisor. When Margry died in 1891, Cuypers succeeded him as architect. The restoration was initially supposed to take ten years, but extended until 1899.
In 1957, the restoration of the tower began to repair the damage caused by shelling during World War II. The damage repair lasted until 1972. Among other things, the top of the buttresses was rebuilt and many natural stone details were restored. A weather vane in the shape of a ship was placed on top of the tower. To complete the restoration, a public garden was laid out around the church at the expense of the state.
In 2016, the tower was transferred to Monumentenbezit. The tower suffered from various defects. For example, mortar was missing in several places, natural stone was damaged and the stained glass needed attention. Up to and including September 2019, the south and west sides of the tower (the two sides with the most damage) were tackled. The facades were completely fitted with scaffolding, in order to restore the brickwork and mortar. Various natural stone parts were also tackled and the stained glass panels were re-leaded. Finally, the walkway was also fitted with a new roof covering. The tower was opened to the public in 2022. During a subsequent maintenance period, work will be carried out on the north and east facades.