Museum Martena, Historic mansion museum in Franeker, Netherlands
Museum Martena is a 16th-century nobleman's house in Franeker that displays art collections and historical objects within its restored rooms. The building preserves traditional Dutch architecture with original furnishings and decorations from various periods.
The house was built in 1498 by Frisian nobleman Hessel van Martena and served as a private residence for centuries. It became a museum in 2006 to preserve the history of the town and its wealthy families.
The name comes from the nobleman family that occupied this house for centuries. You can see how rooms are furnished with items from different periods, showing how wealthy residents lived and what they valued.
The building is easily reachable on foot from the city center and has wheelchair-accessible entrances to the lower rooms. It is helpful to check ahead if special exhibitions or guided tours are offered to make the most of your visit.
The museum houses a rare wooden library with 158 volumes made as wooden book-shaped boxes containing botanical specimens. This type of collection display is extremely rare in the Netherlands and shows how earlier generations preserved plant samples.
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