The earliest mention of Kinkelenburg castle dates from 1403, when Johan van Ambe was lent 'a house and a homestead with waterways and moat at Bemmel'. The castle probably consisted then of a square stone tower-house (built around 1300), the foundations of which lie beneath the present building. Soon afterwards, the status of village castle was changed to the present 'Huis te Bemmel'. Kinkelenburg was converted in the 18th century into a stately manor. During WWII, the municipality commandeered the building as emergency accommodation for the damaged town hall in the Dorpsstraat. Kinkelenburg was the only big building in Bemmel that still had a watertight roof.
After the war, the municipality decided to remain here, but the ruined castle would first have to be restored. Despite its impressive history, the restorers found nothing more of historical interest than a few coins in the attic and a dented tin can in the ditch.
The interior now has beautiful wall panels, acquired for a nominal price from the Huize Heyendaal, Nijmegen, and originating from an Amsterdam canalside house. A ceiling painting by Hubert Estourgie (1924-1982) tells about the origin of the Betuwe region.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.