Sint Pancras ( West Frisian: ''Sundebankreas'') is a town in the northwestern

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 ...

. It is located in the municipality of

Dijk en Waard Dijk en Waard ( West Frisian Dutch: ''Doik en Weard/Weerd'' or ''Dìk en Weard/Weerd'') is a municipality in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia, the Netherlands, formed from the merger of Heerhugowaard and Langedijk. The ...

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

, about 5 km northeast of

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...

History

The village was founded in the 14th century, after the village of

Vronen Vronen is a former village in the West Friesland region of North Holland. Its location is in the current municipality of Sint Pancras. The Battle of Vronen was fought on March 27, 1297, between the combined armies of the Counties of Holland and ...

was destroyed by

John I, Count of Holland John I (1284 – 10 November 1299) was Count of Holland and son of Count Floris V. John inherited the county in 1296 after the murder of his father. Shortly after his birth, after negotiations between Floris and King Edward I of England in Apr ...

, because West Friesland had revolted against his rule in 1297. It was first mentioned in 1433 as Pancraets, and refers to

Pancras of Rome Pancras (Latin: ''Sanctus Pancratius'') was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity and was beheaded for his faith at the age of fourteen, around the year 304. His name is Greek (Παγκράτιος) and means "the one that holds everythin ...

. The Dutch Reformed church is a single aisled cruciform church from the 16th century. In 1604, the tower burnt down and a

lantern tower In architecture, the lantern tower is a tall construction above the junction of the four arms of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church, with openings through which light from outside can shine down to the crossing (so it also called a crossing lante ...

was constructed as a replacement. The ''

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

'' mill A was built in 1663. It was one of ten wind mills to drain the excess water from the polder and the only one remaining. It became obsolete in 1926. In 2010, it was restored to working order, however the drainage canal had been filled up. In 2018, pipes were laid to allow the wind mill to operate again. Sint Pancras was home to 330 people in 1840. It was a separate municipality from 1817 to 1990, when it was merged with

Langedijk Langedijk (; West Frisian Dutch: ''Langedìk'') is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. Langedijk received city rights in 1415. Langedijk and the former municipality of Heer ...

. In 2022, it became part of the new municipality of

Gallery

File:Kerkplein 2, Sint Pancras.jpg, Former town hall File:Sint Pancras - Molen A.jpg, Wind mill A

References

{{Authority control Former municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland Geography of Dijk en Waard