Dominican Church, Gothic church in Binnenstad, Netherlands
The Dominican Church stands as a grand Gothic structure with steep arches, stone columns, and high ceilings that define its medieval architectural heritage.
Founded in 1300, the church served the Dominican Order until Napoleon's forces expelled the religious community in 1794, leading to multiple transformations.
The building now functions as a bookstore called Selexyz Dominicanen, featuring ceiling paintings from 1337 and artistic works by Jan Vessens from 1619.
Visitors can explore three floors of books arranged on black steel shelving structures that preserve clear views of the original architectural elements.
The choir section contains a modern café where readers can examine their selections while seated beneath centuries-old religious frescoes and vaulted ceilings.
Location: Maastricht
Inception: 13 century
Part of: Dominicanenklooster
Address: Dominicanerkerkstraat
GPS coordinates: 50.85006,5.68993
Latest update: May 11, 2025 05:23
European historic libraries and bookshops preserve written heritage accumulated over centuries. From Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, founded in 1732 and still operating at the same location, to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, which has housed over 13 million works since 1602, these sites reflect the evolution and dissemination of books. Livraria Lello in Porto is notable for its curved wooden staircase and neo-Gothic woodwork from 1906, while Dominicanen Bookshop in Maastricht is housed in a converted 13th-century church. These spaces are distinguished by their architecture, from baroque to neo-Gothic, and by their function preserved across centuries. The Celsus Library in Izmir, built in 135 AD, used double walls to protect its 12,000 parchments from humidity. Hatchards in London has been operating since 1797 over five floors in Piccadilly, whereas Shakespeare and Company in Paris has maintained its English-language tradition since 1951 opposite Notre-Dame. These institutions offer visitors the chance to explore places where the history of the book is engraved in stone and wood.
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