Cattedrale di San Giovanni (1220-1525): l’angelo con il telefonino tra le 96 figure sui contrafforti, ispirate a Hieronymus Bosch
Tra le decine di sculture grottesche e angeliche che popolano i contrafforti volanti della cattedrale — unici al mondo per numero, novantasei in tutto — l’ultima aggiunta, realizzata nel Novecento dallo scultore Ton Mooy, raffigura un angelo in jeans con un cellulare in mano: secondo lo scultore, quel telefono “chiama direttamente Dio”. Le figure, nel loro insieme, si ispirano alle visioni grottesche del pittore Hieronymus Bosch, nato proprio in questa città.
About St John’s Cathedral
The story of St John’s Cathedral begins in 1185, when Duke Henry I of Brabant founded the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch itself. Construction of an initial small Romanesque parish church dedicated to Saint John is thought to have begun around 1220, commissioned by the same duke. In 1366, the church was elevated to collegiate status, and starting in 1340 it was entirely demolished and rebuilt in Gothic style to accommodate the city’s growing population and religious life; the apse chapels and outer choir aisles were completed first, followed by the transept and choir around 1450, with the overall Gothic reconstruction finishing around 1525. A fire in 1584 destroyed the original roof, organ, and central tower, which was subsequently replaced by a cupola. The church became the cathedral of the newly created Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 1559, and received the honorific title of basilica on 22 June 1929. Today recognised as the largest cathedral in the Netherlands and one of the finest examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture anywhere in Europe, it measures some 115 metres in length and 62 metres in width, with a tower rising 73 metres. Its white, richly sculpted facade and flying buttresses are populated by an extraordinary density of carved figures — 96 flying buttress figures in total, unique in the world for their number, drawing stylistic inspiration from the grotesque visionary imagery of the painter Hieronymus Bosch, himself born in the city the cathedral serves. Among three major 20th and 21st-century restoration campaigns (1859-1946, 1961-1985, and 1998-2010, the last costing over 48 million euros), sculptor Ton Mooy created 25 new angel figures for the buttresses; the final and most recent addition to the series depicts an angel wearing jeans and holding a mobile phone, which Mooy described as dialling directly to God.
Key facts
- 1185: ‘s-Hertogenbosch founded by Duke Henry I of Brabant
- c. 1220: first small Romanesque church dedicated to Saint John built
- 1340-1525: complete Gothic rebuilding of the church
- 1584: fire destroys the original roof, organ, and central tower
- 1559: becomes cathedral of the new Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch
- 22 June 1929: granted the title of basilica
- 96 flying buttress figures: unique in the world, inspired by Hieronymus Bosch
- 20th-21st century: sculptor Ton Mooy adds 25 new angel figures, including a modern angel with a mobile phone
History
The cathedral’s 96 flying buttress figures, unmatched in number anywhere else in the world and explicitly linked in style to the grotesque visionary imagery of Hieronymus Bosch — himself a native of ‘s-Hertogenbosch — give the building a genuinely distinctive artistic identity, one that connects its Gothic architectural fabric directly to the city’s own most famous cultural export. Sculptor Ton Mooy’s decision, during modern restoration, to add a contemporary angel dressed in jeans and holding a mobile phone continues this same tradition of grotesque, playfully unconventional figuration on the cathedral’s exterior, extending a five-century-old sculptural practice into explicitly present-day iconography rather than merely restoring historical forms.
The near four-decade span of Gothic reconstruction, from 1340 to 1525, situates St John’s within the broader pattern of ambitious medieval urban cathedral projects whose completion timelines regularly outlasted the lifetimes of those who began them, while the cathedral’s subsequent elevation first to collegiate status in 1366, then full cathedral status in 1559, and finally basilica status in 1929, traces a centuries-long progression of increasing ecclesiastical importance for a single continuously used building.
What you see
The cathedral’s white, richly sculpted facade features carved statues, gargoyles, and window reliefs across nearly every arch and rim of its exterior, while its double flying buttresses — themselves unique in the Netherlands — support the 96 flying buttress figures ranging from saints to grotesques, including the modern angel with a mobile phone. Inside, the Gothic nave and choir, rebuilt between 1340 and 1525, preserve a 1492 baptismal font among other significant medieval furnishings.
Practical information
- Opening hours: generally open daily with seasonal variation; check current hours before visiting; free admission, donations welcome
- Address: Sint Janskerkhof, 5211 LA ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Getting there
St John’s Cathedral is reachable on foot within the historic centre of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant. GPS: 51.6881° N, 5.3084° E.
Nearby
- ‘s-Hertogenbosch historic centre — the medieval city surrounding the cathedral
- Het Noordbrabants Museum — a museum with works connected to Hieronymus Bosch, nearby
- Binnendieze — the underground canal system running beneath the city
Sources
- Wikipedia — “St. John’s Cathedral (‘s-Hertogenbosch)” (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Epoch Times — “St. John’s Cathedral: Dutch Gothic in the Netherlands” (theepochtimes.com)
- A Scholarly Skater — “Gargoyle and Grotesques of St. John’s Cathedral” (ascholarlyskater.com)
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