The Protestant church of Rinsumageast or Saint Alexander’s churchAlle middeleeuwse kerken: van Harlingen tot Wilhelmshaven, P Karstkarel, p. 259 and 260 is a religious building in Rinsumageast,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, one of the many

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

churches in

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

. The construction of the for the most part

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...

stone Romanesque church started in the 11th century. The semicircular

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

was built in the 12th century followed by the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and the tower dates from the 13th century. Under the choir is a crypt, uniek for the north of the Nederlands. The church was enlarged in ca. 1525 with the replacement of the southern

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, par ...

by a new,

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

one, dominantly of brick. The monumental Pipe organ was built in 1892 by Bakker & Timmenga. The church is located on the Juckemaweg 3 and was once a Roman Catholic church dedicated to

Saint Alexander Saint Alexander may refer to one of several saints including: *Pope Alexander I (died 115), saint and pope *See Epipodius and Alexander for Saint Alexander, martyred in Lyon, 178 AD *Alexander of Rome (died c. 289), Christian martyr *Alexander of B ...

but became a Protestant church after the

Protestant reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

. It is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 11691 and is rated with a very high historical value.

References

{{coord, 53, 17, 46, N, 5, 56, 34, E, region:NL_type:landmark_source:kolossus-nlwiki, display=title Rinsumageast Rijksmonuments in Friesland Romanesque architecture in the Netherlands Dantumadiel Protestant churches in the Netherlands