Nederland - Wilsum, Sint-Lambertuskerk

With less than 900 inhabitants and approx. 350 houses, Wilsum still is a city. It was (probably) already granted city rights by the bishop of Utrecht in 1321. When you visit Wilsum nowadays, you cannot imagine that you are in a city. It looks more like a peaceful country village, nicely situated on the banks of the river IJssel.

The only building that reminds you of a town is the imposing Sint-Lambertuskerk (Saint Lambert Church), one of the oldest churches in the province of Overijssel. The church is dating back to the year of 1050, but nothing is known about the original structure. The tower with the nave is the oldest part: they are Romanesque in design and probably date from the 11th century.

The church has undergone several changes in its almost 1.000 years of existence. After the Reformation, the church was stripped of its Roman Catholic characteristics. Original there were five Romanesque windows on the north and south sides of the nave, while the east side and the choir were closed. The present Gothic choir was built in the 14th century, against the then lower nave of the church. Major changes were made to the nave in the 15th century. The side walls were raised and vaulted, while the Romanesque windows were replaced by pointed arch windows.

During a restoration in 1902, neo-Gothic influences gave the church its current character. During the last restoration of the Sint-Lambertuskerk in 1982 a number of wall paintings - hundreds of years old - were discovered.