Basiliek van de H.H. Agatha en Barbara

The Basilica of Saints Agatha and Barbara in Oudenbosch, North Brabant, is one of the Netherlands' most surprising ecclesiastical buildings: designed by Pierre Cuypers — better known for Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum — and G. J. van Swaay, construction began in 1865 on a half-scale replica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, combined with the facade of the Lateran Basilica. The result is a classicist church with a twin-towered front and a commanding dome that feels startlingly oversized for a small Brabant town. Protected as a Rijksmonument, the basilica embodies the ambitions of Dutch Catholic communities in the 19th century, who looked directly to Rome for architectural inspiration. Inside, the interplay of dome light and a cool, spacious nave creates the convincing illusion of standing in a Roman church — an effect made all the more striking by its thoroughly Dutch surroundings.