Gezicht op de Heilige Stede (Nieuwezijds Kapel) te Amsterdam 1664

Jan Veenhuysen created this print of the Nieuwezijds Chapel in Amsterdam sometime in the 17th century. This chapel, also known as the Heilige Stede, carries a history deeply entwined with religious and social tensions of the time. The chapel gained significance as a pilgrimage site following a Eucharistic miracle in 1345. It became a focal point for Catholic devotion in a city that was increasingly dominated by Protestantism. Veenhuysen's depiction of the chapel occurs during a period of shifting religious landscapes. The print serves as a visual record of a site imbued with layers of meaning. It represents faith, pilgrimage, and the negotiation of religious identities in a changing world. The artist invites us to consider the role of religious spaces in shaping community identity, collective memory, and the ongoing dialogues between different belief systems. The print captures a moment in Amsterdam's history where religious pluralism and tolerance were being tested and redefined.