Kleine Kerk Edam, Gothic church tower in Edam, Netherlands.
Kleine Kerk Edam is a church tower in Edam featuring a brick structure from the 15th century topped with an octagonal sandstone lantern. The lantern was built between 1568 and 1569 and creates the distinctive silhouette visible today.
The building was originally constructed in 1310 as Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk but underwent major destruction in 1883 when nearly all structures were demolished except the tower. This drastic intervention transformed it from a complete church into a standalone tower.
The tower contains four protected bells cast by P. van den Ghein in 1561 and features a mechanical drum clock created by J.P. Engelsz in the same year. These bells and the clock represent important examples of Renaissance craftsmanship that visitors can still hear and see today.
The tower is located at Lingerzijde 1 and stands as a protected monument, which means visitors can view the structure only from the outside. The freestanding building is easy to locate and visible from several points around town.
The structure faced serious collapse in 1972 and required emergency intervention from the fire department to prevent its complete loss. This critical episode demonstrated how vulnerable historical heritage can be and led to important conservation efforts.
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