Utrecht

The city

Town since the Roman period. Bishop's see since Willibrordus founded the Dom in 696; since the 2nd half of the 8th century part of the archdiocese Köln. In the 11th century the 'Cross of Churches' was founded by Emperor Henry III.

Patron of the town and the diocese: Martinus of Tours.

In the 2nd half of the 16th century the religious troubles and iconoclasms struck the town, like the rest of the country. In 1580 all monasteries and religious houses were closed down.

Churches and convents

The 'Cross of Churches'

This existed of 5 chapter churches and an abbey:

* Mariakerk, chapter church (founded late 11th century)
* Dom or Maartenskerk, chapter church (founded late 7th century)
* Oudmunster or Salvatorkerk, chapter church
* Pieterskerk, chapter church (founded 11th century)
* Janskerk, chapter church (founded 11th century)
* Paulusabdij, Benedictine abbey (founded 11th century)

Other churches and abbeys

Of most of these convents no manuscripts are known.

The parish churches were:

* Buurkerk or Mariakerk, first and main parish of the town, founded 10th century; governed by the Dom chapter
* Nicolaikerk or Klaaskerk, founded early 12th century
* Geertekerk, founded ca 1255; governed by the Dom chapter
* Jacobikerk, founded 12th century

The Augustinian communities:

* St. Maria en de 12 Apostelen, mens community
* Agnesklooster, nuns (switched to the Augustinian order in 1422)

The Brethren and Sisters of Common Life:

* Hieronymushuis, brethren

The Franciscan Tertiaries:

* Begijnhof, founded in 1337 at the Nicolaaskerkhof; in 1394 it assumed the rule of the Sisters of Common Life, and later on the rule of the Franciscan Tertiaries
* Caeciliaklooster, zusters Gerardinen (Sisters of Common Life), founded before 1380. From 1399 onwards Franciscan tertiaries
* klooster S. Maria in Bethlehem, Tertiaries, founded by the Caeciliaklooster in 1423, independent since 1425

And moreover:

* Balije St Catharina, Johannieten
* Duitse Huis, baliwick of the Teutonic Knights
* Nieuwlicht, Carthusians
* Predikherenklooster, founded in 1232 as the first Dominican settlement in the Netherlands; the community moved to the Predikherenkerkhof in 1247; since 1253 their church was dedicated to St. Andreas. Disbanded 1580
* Servaasabdij, Cistercian nuns, founded ca 1225
* Ursulaklooster, nun's convent, founded 1412 by Abraham Dole, disbanded 1580, from 1743 onwards Lutherse kerk
* Wittevrouwenklooster, unknown order

The neighbourhood of Utrecht

* Stephanusabdij Oudwijk, Benedictine nuns
* Abdij Oostbroek, Benedictine double monastery

Literature

For literature on Utrecht abbeys and churches:

* Utrecht tussen Kerk en Staat, espec. pp. 192-195 for a survey of abbeys and churches
* Handschriften en Oude Drukken van de Utrechtse Universiteitsbibliotheek
* Middeleeuwse kerken in Utrecht, F. Delamarre (photos), A. van Deijk (texts), P. van Traa (maps). Clavis Kunsthistorische Monografieën V (Utrecht - Zutphen 1988)
* Utrecht Kruispunt van de Middeleeuwse kerk. Voordrachten gehouden tijdens het congres ter gelegenheid van 10 jaar Mediëvistiek. Faculteit der Letteren, Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, 25-27 aug. 1988. Clavis Kunsthistorische Monografieën VII (Utrecht - Zutphen 1988)

The diocese of Utrecht

Unidentified manuscripts from Utrecht

Some very old books are:

* D-Bbs Theol. lat. qu. 2, Sacramentarium, 10th century; the oldest extant book of the diocese of Utrecht; see The Dutch and their books ..., p. 4
* B-Br 9188-89 (cat.nr. 590; Rijkdom KB België nr 3), a psalter, (perhaps) of the diocese Utrecht, ca 1000

Younger books are:

* B-Bb 119 I, Missale Ultrajectinum, 15th century (see AH 8:125)
* B-Br 4767, Graduale, 1542
* B-Br 4860, Processionale, 15th-16th century
* D-MÜu 41 (olim 347) Missale ('Hoya-Missale'), 15th century
* F-Lille, UB, 2701, breviary, in Latin with Dutch rubrics; Leroquais 308
* F-Pm 433, Missale, 15th century, incorrectly attributed to Utrecht in AH 9, nrs. 270 and 274, but more probably from Luik
* F-Reims, BM 2108, Augustinian breviary, diocese Utrecht, 1497, Manuscrits datés France t. V, p. 315, pl. CLXXVII; Leroquais 736
* F-Strassbourg, Bibl.Mun. 341, diurnale festivum, 15th century, Leroquais 1012
* GB-Lbl 24687, according to Le Graduel Critique (Les Sources): Graduel d'Utrecht, and Plainsong in the age of polyphony p. 188, note 24. The Online catalogue of the British Library says: Gradual of German use, with musical notes; Latin; 15th century
* I-Mb AE XIV 12, Missale, early 15th century
* I-Roma, Bibl. Vat. lat. 10645 (see Smits van Waesberghe, in Musica Disciplina VII (?))
* NL-DHk 73 G 35, Summer breviary, ca 1500
* NL-DHk 74 G 24, Benedictine week psalter, 2nd half 15th century
* NL-DHk 75 H 39, Fragmenta liturgica, 11th-16th century, partly from the diocese of Utrecht
* NL-DHk 75 H 44, Breviarium nocturnale, winter part, ca 1450
* NL-DHk 76 E 2, Missale, mid 15th century, for a women's house
* NL-DHk 76 G 6, Breviary summer part, ca 1500
* NL-DHk 78 J 10, Nocturnale, 1475-1500, for an Augustinian house
* NL-DHk 128 D 29, Missal, early 15th and 2nd half 15th century, perhaps (?) Franciscan tertiaries
* NL-DHk 130 G 18, Antiphoner winter part, mid 15th century, diocese Utrecht (?), for a monastery dedicated to Antonius
* NL-DHk 131 G 47, Nocturnale winter part, mid 15th century
* NL-DHk 133 E 8, Augustinian diurnale, mid 15th century
* NL-DHk 134 C 48, Week psalter, late 15th century, Augustinian nuns
* NL-DHk 135 K 13, Diurnale (summer part), ca 1450-1475, for an Augustinian house
* NL-DHmw 10 B 26, Calendarium, psalterium, antiphonarium, vigiliae mortuorum, hymnarium, 2nd half 15th century
* NL-HEESWab 16, Week psalter, hymns, etc., 16th century, perhaps Augustinian
* NL-Uc BMH 8, Missale Trajectense, 1486, Windesheim Congregation
* NL-Uu 402, missal, not noted, 15th century
* P-Ln 3985 FG, processional, probably diocese Utrecht, 16th century

Literature

* On the Utrecht sequence repertoire: C.M. Bower, in TKVNM 53
* Also on the Utrecht sequence repertoire: C.M. Bower: The sequence repertoire of the Diocese of Utrecht Enlightened by Four Libri Ordinarii of the Diocese, Meer dan muziek alleen
* H.J. Kok: Proeve van een onderzoek naar de patrocinia in het middeleeuwse bisdom Utrecht (diss., Univ. van Amsterdam, 1958): research onto the patrocinia of Martinus, Liudger, Trudo, Vitus, Catharina, Georgius, Mauritius, Pancratius, Nicolaas, Antonius abbot

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Last change: Fri 18 September 2009