Leermens (Gr): reformed
church or St. Donatus
Like
many churches in Friesland and Groningen, the church of Leermens
is built on top of an artificial hill. It is a church with a
complicated history. Of a tuff church built in ca. 1000 only
the side-walls of the nave remain. In ca. 1100 a lengthened choir
was built, to which two lateral chapels were added in 1175, using
both tuff and brick. The lateral chapels were later transformed
into a transept. The nave was heightened and the tower was replaced
by a westwork with two towers. In 1822 this westwork was demolished
and replaced by a new facade with a lantern-tower on top. The
current tower dates from a restoration after a fire destroyed
the old one, as well as much of the western part of the church,
in 1957.
Ca. 1250 a new choir was built in Romano-Gothic
style. This represents the early stage of Romano-Gothicism,
with still only round-topped arches.
In the 16th century bigger windows in Gothic style were added
to the nave and transept. This situation remains on the southern
side, while at the northern side the Romanesque situation was
reconstructed after 1957.
The interior shows a big contrast between nave and choir. While
the choir has the typical Romano-Gothic mellon-vault, the nave
is covered by a simple wooden ceiling. In the 14th century choir
and nave were seperated from eachother by an organ-loft of which
a small portion remains. At the same time the apses at the eastern
side of the transept were demolished, although traces of these
are clearly visible.
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