Nestled between the shops on Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s the busiest shopping street …
A church with a neo-gothic facade is the HH. Petrus and Paulus Church, better known as “The Parrot” (Dutch: De Papegaai). A striking façade but most people walk right past it.
According to the church website, there has been a church on this spot since the seventeenth century, hidden in the garden of one of the houses. A secret place of worship during the Reformation. This Roman Catholic church is thought to have been built in the garden of a bird trader, hence the parrot on the gable and its nickname.
In 1848, a new church was reconstructed to replace the temporary church building together with part of the house to form a larger church, designed by architect Gerrit Moele. Still, it remained out of sight to the public. In 1853, the episcopal hierarchy in the Netherlands was restored. This entrance on Kalverstraat was extended in plain sight, in 1899.
The narrow facade decorated with the patron saint of Saint Joseph statue on the right and a concrete parrot on the left is quite deceptive. As soon as you walk through the revolving door, you will be surprised by the height, space and depth of the church building. The neo-Gothic church inventory from the construction period has been preserved. The wood-carved high altar depicts the marriage of Joseph and Mary. The pulpit is from 1850. Not the small intimate chapel that one would expect judging from the outside. I was utterly surprised!
Regardless of religious beliefs, anyone is welcome inside the church for a moment of quiet reflection and meditation. You will forget that it is on the busiest shopping street in Amsterdam! Tranquil.
📍Kalverstraat 58, 1012 PG Amsterdam.
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 2pm.