Dom Tower of Utrecht
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The Dom Tower of Utrecht is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, at 112 metres (368 feet) in height, and the hallmark of the city. The tower was part of Dom Church, the medieval cathedral of Utrecht, and was built between 1321 and 1382.
The Dom Tower was one of the largest towers constructed in Europe during the fourteenth century, and it was planned to show the power of the church of Utrecht. Its construction lead the preacher Geert Groote to protest sharply against the vanity of such a immense project. The tower consists of two massive square blocks, topped by a much lighter lantern. One of the most striking features is the absence of visible buttresses. Its particular shape and original architecture had a large influence on many other towers in the Netherlands, including the Martinitoren in Groningen.
Completion of the cathedral itself took much longer, due to lack of money. Its nave was hastily finished in 1517, and it lacked the flying buttresses to support its walls. In 1674 a tornado destroyed this part of the cathedral, but the tower was spared. The remaining section of the church and the tower were never reconnected, and a street and square now separate the two structures. In the summer of 2004, however, a mock nave was constructed out of scaffolding to commemorate the missing link.
The Dom Tower houses a large peal of fourteen ringing bells, second in Europe only to those in Cologne. They form the largest existing homogenous group of medieval bells, cast by Geert van Wou in 1505. They are set in motion by the members of the Utrechts Klokkenluiders Gilde. The tower also houses a famous carillon with bells dating back to the seventeenth century, made by the Hemony brothers.
Guided tours are regularly operated allowing people to climb the 465 steps to the top of the Dom Tower. On a clear day it is possible to see both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The booking office for guided tours is located in the square at the foot of the tower.
There is a rule that no buildings in the city of Utrecht are allowed to be constructed that exceed the Dom Tower in height. Recently however, this restriction has been lifted plans in the newly developing suburban area in the west of Utrecht (Leidsche Rijn), and following that a skyscraper of 262 metres in height has been proposed, challenging this long-standing tradition.
