duivenvoorde

Ahhh. . . quite possibly the moment you all have been waiting for ~ the houses! Day 3 dawned bright and sunny, and picture perfect for a visit to Duivenvoorde, home to generations of the famous van Wassenaer family. It is one of those houses I have read about and seen images of, but until I saw it in person, I had no idea how truly extraordinary it is. The estate has roots in the 13th century and has never been sold. The medieval house was extensively renovated between 1631 and 1717, taking on the shape seen today. It was largely neglected in the 18th century, and narrowly saved from demolition in the 19th. While most of the contents were sold in 1793, the house itself remains essentially unchanged. The entrance hall retains its original 17th-century painted ceiling, and between 1957 and 1963, renovations by E.H. Canneman revealed additional painted ceilings throughout the house.

Alas, no interior photographs were allowed. But there is a magnificent book (in Dutch only), which can be ordered through the website:

* Annette de Vries, Duivenvoorde: Bewoners, landgoed, kasteel, interieur en collectie (2010)

And I have more exterior photographs here.

Lots more from the Netherlands this week. Until then, enjoy this first day of summer. . .