St. Nicolas church, Edam
Grote Kerk or St. Nicholaaskerk, of cathedral dimensions, was probably built at the beginning of the 15th Century. In both 1602 and 1699 the church suffered extensive fires after lightning strikes to the tower. Consequently when rebuilt (in 1701) the height of the tower was significantly reduced. St Nicholas church is one of the largest 3-ridged churches in Europe. Built on piles, the weight of the church was an important consideration and the vaulted ceiling is a wooden copy of a stone ceiling. The church also contains many stained glass windows donated as gifts from neighbouring towns or by the flourishing Edam guilds (such as the guild of ships' carpenters) after the fire in 1602.
