Huis Bergh (Huis Bergh) is one of the largest castles in the Netherlands. It gives its name to the Land van den Bergh and was previously owned by the counts van Bergh.
The castle history dates back to the 13th century. The main parts of the castle are from the 14th, 15th and 17th century. In the beginning of the Dutch Revolt the house got damaged by war. In 1735 the castle burned down.
In 1912 Huis Bergh and all belongings became the property of Jan Herman van Heek, an industrialist from Enschede. He restored the buildings. In 1939 there was another major fire. Thanks to the help of locals most of the furniture was rescued. Renovation began the same year and was completed in 1941.
Huis Bergh contains a collection of early Italian paintings, one famous example of which is a panel from the Maestà of Duccio, which was added to the castle's collection in the 19th century. In addition to a portrait of Erasmus by Holbein Huis Bergh has an extraordinary collection of medieval handwritings.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.