The Basilica of SS. Agatha and Barbara (Basiliek van de HH. Agatha en Barbara) was built by P. J. H. Cuypers between 1865 and 1880 on the model of St Peter's in Rome. The dome of this reduced and simplified copy of the original has a diameter of 68m/223ft. The west front, which dates from the end of the 19th century, is also based on a famous model, the church of St John Lateran in Rome. Some of the interior decoration was the work of the Antwerp sculptor F. de Vriendt.
The chapel of the Instituut Saint-Louis shows Roman influences in its facade and dome. The Institute, built between 1865 and 1889, housed young Dutchmen ("Zouaves") who volunteered to defend the Pope and the Papal States during the struggle for the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
The Museum of Natural History and Ethnology, at Markt 30A, has a collection of objects brought back from China, Indonesia and Africa by monks of the Oudenbosch monastery.
The Zouave Museum at Markt 31 commemorates the 4,000 Dutchmen who belonged to the Zouave Corps for the defense of the Vatican between 1860 and 1870. The museum is housed in the old Town Hall, a neo- classical building of around 1775.
Hours:
May 1 to October 31: 2pm-5pm; Closed: Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
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