St. Martin's Church (also ''Grote kerk'' or ''Martinikerk'';Alle middeleeuwse kerken: van Harlingen tot Wilhelmshaven, P Karstkarel, p. 57 West Frisian: ''Martinitsjerke'') is a Protestant church in

Bolsward Bolsward (, West Frisian: ''Boalsert'') is a city in Súdwest-Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. Bolsward has a population of just under 10,200. It is located 10 km W.N.W. of Sneek. History The town is founded on thr ...

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 ...

, and one of the

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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

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 current church was built between 1446 and 1461, the small medieval church which stood at that location previously was demolished to build the new one. The tower of the church was built in the 15th century and the

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d roof was added in the 17th century. It became a Protestant church during the

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 in ...

. There was a major renovation which, apart from work on the tower, ended in 1955. The church is located at the Groot Kerkhof 24 in the centre of Bolsward. It was listed as a

Rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

in 1968. It remains in active use, with a weekly Sunday service.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Martin's Church, Bolsward

Rijksmonuments in Friesland Protestant churches in the Netherlands Churches completed in 1461