Haarlem, The Netherlands

I visited Haarlem on a sunny day in June.  The town's history dates back to the 15^th century but the town grew more important in the 16^th century.  Saint Bavo's Cathedral (the main cathedral) shows the effect of the Reformation.  All the original Roman Catholic artwork and iconography was removed or painted over.


  The Cathedral also shows the influence of the town’s merchants.  An example of this was the “unruly dog” keepers’ chapel.  The chapel was built with the funds of the town merchants, not the local lords.

 I also went to the Teyler museum, which is the oldest museum in Holland.  The museum was also financed by a local merchant, showing the importance of the merchant class in the Netherlands.