R.K. Kerk H. Clemens

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction

The R.C. CHURCH, dedicated to H. Clemens, is a design by K. Weber from 1871. The three-aisled cruciform basilica has a west tower of five storeys and a choir with an ambulatory. The Neo-Romanesque/Neo-Gothic style is based on the transition from Romanesque to early Gothic. Around 1910 chapels and a sacristy were added to designs by Jan Stuyt. About 15 years later a boiler house was added on the northern side.

Around 1950 a gate to the churchyard was built on the northern side of the church, not falling within the protection.

Description

The cruciform basilica has a nave of three bays, flanked by aisles and adjoining a transept, of which one bay has deep arms closed on three sides. The choir consists of two bays and a three-sided closure over almost the full height. Nave, transept and choir are covered with gabled roofs with slate in Maasland bond. The three-sided closures are separated from the gabled roofs by stepped gables and have a lower ridge height. The tower is constructed of machine-made brick, the rest of the building in hand-made brick. The walls of nave, choir and transept are articulated by recessed round-arch panels, pilasters, cordon lines and drip mouldings in sandstone and limestone, stepped dentil mouldings and framing round and pointed-arch mouldings. The brick buttresses of the nave, which, partly incorporated in the mass of the aisles, rise markedly above the lean-to roofs, are capped with limestone blocks. In the clerestory of the nave three coupled pointed-arch windows are placed per bay, of which the central one is higher than the flanking ones. The aisle has two pointed-arch windows per bay, of which the heads are closed by a limestone three-foil tracery. In the closures of the transept simple lancet windows are inserted, of which the encompassing arch is executed in limestone and partly is moulded. This detailing is also found in the windows of the choir closure. Moreover, tracery is applied here (double lancet with five-foil tracery, crowned by a six-lobed rose), and the walls of the choir bays are provided with an eight-lobed rose window.

The tower has a square plan and consists of four storeys. In the first the portal is placed, provided with a sandstone plinth, colonettes placed against the edges and a limestone tympanum set in a pointed arch. The latter is provided with a small oculus, set in a three-foil arch.

The double, clasped door is provided with wrought-iron decorative ironwork. The doors on the north and south sides of the tower are sealed. On the south side is a stone with the inscription "prim. lap. pos. W.P. van Lent past. AE. D. J.

van Coll, J. Sengers, 28 martii 1871". The storeys step back gradually as one ascends. Principal elements are a six-lobed rose window in the second storey and two stepped, coupled pointed-arch niches in the third storey. Above these niches, without use of buttresses or flying buttresses, a transition is made to an octagon, which consists of a closed lower side with (no longer used) round niches for clock faces, and an open upper side with louvers and (new) clock faces. The eight-sided needle spire is provided with slate in Maasland bond and triangular roof dormers. Against the northern facade of the tower is, partly integrated in the mass of aisle and tower, an eight-sided stair tower applied over the height of the first two storeys. In the tower hangs a previously protected bell from 1490, cast by Jan van Venlo. The choir section is provided around 1910 with a seven-sided, stylistically adapted extension under a lean-to roof. The pointed-arch windows are provided with iron bars. Centrally, in a projecting section, provided with a stepped gable with stepped frieze and crowning natural stone cross, a clasped door is placed. The pointed-arch fanlight has simple cast-iron tracery. Around the same time sacristy spaces were added on the north and south sides of the choir.

These single-storey buildings under a gabled roof have extremely simple pointed-arch windows.

In the interior are among others important the sandstone high altar (C.Weber, execution J.Oor, 1872), the Mary altar and the Sacred Heart altar (C.Weber and J.Oor, 1878), an oak lectern (second half 19th century), a bronze baptismal font (1852), two marble communion rails (J.Custers, 1927), a Mary image (end 17th century), an H.Clemens image and an H.Joseph image (C. Weber and J.Oor, 1878), a James image from around 1900, two images on the balustrade of the choir loft (David, female figure, 1881), a Standing Madonna (19th century), a sculptural group of the Holy Family (Custers, 1929), seven wooden images (of which only H.Quirinus image with original polychrome), Custers, 1903-'07, crucifix with silver corpus on wooden beam (19th century), three windows in the priest's choir (Holy Trinity, Mount of Olives, Annunciation, 1895), painted Stations of the Cross (A. Windhausen, Roermond, until 1907)

Valuation

The church is of general importance. The building has cultural-historical importance as a particular expression of Catholicism in the south. The building has architectural-historical importance through the style and detailing, in particular the more or less Romanogothic detailing and is important as an example of the transition phase from Neo-Gothic to Neo-Romanesque in the work of architect Weber. It has ensemble values because of the particular setting, linked with the development/expansion of Nuenen and because of the connection with the other buildings at the Park.