The Cunerakerk is the main church of

Rhenen Rhenen () is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands. The municipality also includes the villages of Achterberg, Remmerden, Elst and Laareind. The town lies at a geographically interesting location, namely on the southernmost par ...

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 ...

. During the Middle Ages it was an important

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

site. The church has stored the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

of the

Saint Cunera Saint Cunera of Rhenen, also Kunera (strangled to death in Rhenen, diocese of Utrecht, 28 October 340) was a virgin and martyr. Her name is first mentioned in the 11th century. Cunera is the patron saint of the city of Rhenen in the Netherlands, a ...

http://www.kunera.nl/ page with information about late medieval badges and ampullae since the 8th century. The tower has a height of .

History

The first church on site was dedicated to Petrus (before 11th century). In the 11th century the church was dedicated to

. A legend tells about her stay at the court of king Radboud in

. The church was built and enlarged in the 15th century. The tower was built from 1492 until 1531 and its design is inspired by the

Domtoren The Dom Tower (Cathedral Tower, Dutch: ''Domtoren'') of Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corn ...

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

. Since 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 ...

in 1580 the Cunerachurch is in use by the Protestants. The relics of Cunera have been dispersed since then. The church has often been damaged. In 1897 the tower burned and a restoration was done with a different spire (designed by

Pierre Cuypers Petrus Josephus Hubertus "Pierre" Cuypers (16 May 1827 – 3 March 1921) was a Dutch architect. His name is most frequently associated with the Amsterdam Central Station (1881–1889) and the Rijksmuseum (1876–1885), both in Amsterdam. ...

). During the next restoration in 1934 the roof burned down and during restoration of the roof a section collapsed. In 1940 the tower and church were damaged by war, and in 1945 it was again heavily damaged by the war. The building material used for subsequent repairs was so bad that in 1968 restoration of the tower was necessary again.

Interior

The rood screen of the choir was built in 1550 in the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

style. It is one of the few rood screens still existing in the Netherlands. It is decorated with allegoric images of the three

theological virtues Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally they hav ...

faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...

, hope and

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

. Part of the sculpture is gone. The

choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...

were carved in 1570. Image:Königshaus Rhenen C-P 038.JPG, The tower behind the Königshaus Image:Rhenencuneradoksaal.jpg, The Rood screen of choir in the Cunerakerk

References

Official website of the Cunerakerk
{{Tallest buildings in the Netherlands Dutch Reformed Church buildings Reformed church buildings in the Netherlands Bell towers in the Netherlands Towers in Utrecht (province) Churches in Utrecht (province) Rijksmonuments in Utrecht (province) Rhenen