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Museum Amersfoort

The Man Who Saved the Tower

A fierce bolt of lightning set the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren ablaze. Carpenter Lenaart Nicasiusz saved the city from disaster.

Thunder, lightning and an almighty crack. That is how the evening of 7 February 1651 must have appeared in Amersfoort. In the heart of the city stood the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren, which at the time still had a wooden spire. When lightning struck, a large fire quickly broke out. The flames leapt high and the tower was in danger of being lost.

For the residents of Amersfoort, it was a terrifying moment. The tower was already the city's landmark. If the fire spread further, the damage could be enormous.

A courageous carpenter

While many people looked on, one man stepped forward. Carpenter Lenaart Nicasiusz did not hesitate for a moment. With an axe in hand, he climbed upwards, heading straight for the burning tower.

There he hacked off the burning spire to prevent the fire from spreading further. It was dangerous work. Yet Nicasiusz risked his own life to protect the city. Thanks to his swift action, the tower was preserved and a greater disaster in the heart of Amersfoort was averted.

A city hero

In the days that followed, Amersfoort talked of little else. Everyone knew the story of the carpenter who had climbed into the burning tower. Nicasiusz was seen as the man who had saved the city.

The city council wished to thank him in a special way. He was given a new suit of clothes, fifty guilders and a pension. For an ordinary carpenter, this was an exceptional reward.

He was also given an honourable commission: the city asked him to build a new spire for the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren himself. Nicasiusz spent four years working on the restoration of the tower. In 1655 the new spire was completed and the tower once again took its familiar place above the city.

A story that stayed visible

Artist Jacob van Campen was also deeply impressed by the event. Shortly after the fire, he painted a portrait of Nicasiusz. In his hands he holds an axe and a bucket of water. On his clothing, spatters of molten lead are still visible. Behind him, the tower still smoulders. At the bottom of the painting is an explanation of the fire, written in Dutch and in Latin.

In this way, the story of Lenaart Nicasiusz was preserved not only in Amersfoort's history, but also on canvas.

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