My last history trip of 2022 was to a small Dutch village called Oudenbosch. I did not go to see the village itself, which is quite quaint, but for its amazing church which you would not expect to encounter anywhere in the Netherlands. So why did they build this massive classical Italian church in a tiny Dutch village?

The answer lies in the 19th century. At the start of the 19th century Italy was still divided into many states, but a strong national movement emerged that would lead to the founding of the kingdom of Italy in 1861. Rome was proclaimed as capital, but the city and its region were controlled by the Pope and his papal state. The nationalists tried to conquer Rome, but the pope was fighting back with help from France and Catholic volunteers called Papal Zouaves.

Many of these Zouaves came from the South of the Netherlands and gathered in Oudenbosch to march to Rome together. For their contribution to the holy cause, the Pope commissioned to build a large basilica in Oudenbosch. This project was initiated by the local pastor Willem Hellemons who had provided shelter for the Zouaves and fed them. The famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers designed the basilica and modelled it after the St Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The front which was added later is based on the St John of Lateran basilica in Rome.

And this is how a piece of Rome ended up in a small Dutch village to honour the local boys who fought for the Pope. 

Originally posted on Instagram on January 3, 2023