Rijnhuizen

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

Component 1

Description

The present CASTLE Rijnhuizen was built in 1640 on a site where, in any case since 1370, there must have stood a knightly, fortified house. The main building is a block-shaped, entirely cellared house of red brick, with two storeys and an attic under a hipped roof covered with faded Old Dutch tiles. Originally the roof had a valley gutter, which was replaced by a flat roof in the 19th century. The 19th-century bell-shaped roof ornament on the ridge at the front possibly dates from the same period. The roof panels on both sides have a chimney centrally on the ridge, and on both chimneys an ornamental wrought-iron crown. The ridge ends are crowned by an ornamental, natural stone pine cone. The symmetrical facades count seven window bays on the front, six on the rear, and four on the side gables. At the level of the first floor and first storey the facades are provided with multi-pane sash windows, at the level of the basement with double multi-pane casement windows. The front facade has a slightly projecting central section of three bays wide, which at the level of the roof line is crowned by a pediment with the coats of arms of the De Geer and Van Rijn families. Centrally in this central section are located one above the other the main and service entrances. Both are accessible via the same brick arch bridge over the castle moat, with a bridge deck at the level of the first floor and a bridge deck at basement level. The main entrance consists of a simple single access door with a circular, ornamental fanlight within a pilaster setting. The rear facade has a projecting central section of two bays wide. This central section was provided in the 19th century at the level of the first floor with two double doors with semicircular fanlight set in a hardstone frame. The doors give access to two French balconies with simple iron balustrades. In the rear facade both windows and doors at the level of the first floor are provided with shutters. The facades are terminated by a narrow drip moulding on corbels. On the roof there are dormer windows on all sides, provided with cheeks and a semicircular crown with shell motif. Around the windows a pilaster setting.

The original floor plan and layout have remained virtually intact except for minor changes. The centrally located, almost square hall has a white marble floor, laid in tiles of approximately 50 by 50 cm. The staircase on the north side of the house is crowned on the first storey by a distinctive balustrade from the first half of the 18th century, consisting of decoratively carved and colourfully painted balusters in Louis XIV style, a set of panelled square stair posts, crowned by inserted, urn-shaped ornaments and a concluding moulded handrail. In the so-called Alexander room north of the hall the walls are hung with 18th-century wall coverings painted on jute with scenes from the life of Alexander the Great. These wall coverings were applied in 1771, presumably as the conclusion of a comprehensive modernisation of the interior and exterior, which took place under Jan Jacob de Geer. In addition to wall coverings the Alexander room is provided with a well-preserved Utrecht fireplace (Louis XIV) and a gilded richly decorated pendant table with marble top, accompanying mirror in carved frame and ornamental pediment (Louis XVI). The timber-framed, carved and gilded, principal and secondary beam ceiling, the wainscoting and the parquet floor presumably date from a modernisation of the interior which took place in the 1880s under the couple Van Hardenbroek-De Geer Rijnhuizen. The walls in the room south of the hall are painted with motifs which must be inspired by designs of Daniel Marot. The paintings were discovered in 1971 and have since undergone thorough restoration. In the room to the southwest of the hall a simple marble chimney piece with fine stuccoed overmantel, both in Louis XV style and presumably dating from the middle of the 18th century. In the hall, corridors and a large number of rooms on the first floor (the aforementioned rooms included) and first storey there are furthermore stucco ceilings, wainscoting, windows, doors and shutters from both the 18th and 19th centuries.

Valuation

The CASTLE (Rijnhuizen) is of general importance:

- because of its architectural design;

- because of the virtually original floor plan and layout and the presence of well-preserved historical interior components from different periods;

- because of its characteristic setting within the 17th-century formal park layout;

- because of the functional-spatial relationship with the other components of the country estate;

- as one of the few well-preserved and originally belonging to a larger group of 17th-century moated castles with medieval cores south of the Sticht.