Pieterskerk

The Pieterskerk is a late Gothic hall church in central Leiden, begun in the 12th century and completed during the 15th. Heavy brick piers support an intricate net of star vaults that span the wide nave without a dominant central aisle. From 1609 the English separatist preacher John Robinson, spiritual father of the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, led his congregation here. Robinson is buried beneath the choir, and a memorial plaque marks the church's deep ties to American foundation history. Today the deconsecrated building hosts concerts, Leiden University ceremonies and exhibitions, the empty interior emphasising the austere Gothic structure. The visible tilt of the walls is part of its charm.