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Universiteit van Amsterdam Agnietenkapel
Workers are still discovering secrets in these ancient walls! You're standing at the Agnietenkapel on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, where something AMAZING happened on January 8th, 1632 – the University of Amsterdam was born right here! But here's the gross part: during renovations in 1919, construction workers found coffins full of nun skeletons buried underneath! Look up at those golden letters above the gate – they spell "Athenaeum Illustre," the university's original name. This Gothic chapel from 1470 is squeezed between two canal houses like a secret hideout, and those colorful stained-glass windows show the two famous professors who gave the very first university lectures here almost 400 years ago!
Did You Know?
- Birthplace of the University of Amsterdam: The Agnietenkapel is the historic birthplace of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA), where the Athenaeum Illustre—the university’s forerunner—was inaugurated on January 8, 1632, with famous humanist professors Gerardus Vossius and Caspar Barlaeus delivering the first lectures; today, it remains a special venue for PhD defenses and graduation ceremonies, connecting modern academia to its 17th-century roots.
- Medieval Nuns and Hidden Remains: Originally built in 1470 as a convent chapel for the Sisters of St. Agnes, the Agnietenkapel still bears the name of these nuns; during a 1919 restoration, workers discovered coffins containing the remains of the sisters beneath the building, a hidden link to its religious past that surprises many visitors.
- Secret Library Attic and Galileo’s Almost-Visit: The attic of the Agnietenkapel once housed the City Library, precursor to the University Library, with original bookcases still visible under the chapel’s painted ceiling; intriguingly, there was an attempt to bring the renowned scientist Galileo Galilei to Amsterdam to lecture at the Athenaeum Illustre, but his advanced age and the distance from Italy prevented the visit, leaving a fascinating 'what if' in the chapel’s history.