The Grote Kerk in Vianen is not only a church, but also the last resting place of at least 24 members of the Van Vianen and Van Brederode families. On top of the crypt lies the tomb of Reinoud III van Brederode and his wife, Philippote van der Marck. While no names or inscriptions can be found on the grave, it’s believed that the monument was created in the 16th Century by the sculptor Colijn de Nole.
This grave is truly a unique monument. It’s the only example of…
The Grote Kerk in Vianen is not only a church, but also the last resting place of at least 24 members of the Van Vianen and Van Brederode families. On top of the crypt lies the tomb of Reinoud III van Brederode and his wife, Philippote van der Marck. While no names or inscriptions can be found on the grave, it’s believed that the monument was created in the 16th Century by the sculptor Colijn de Nole.
This grave is truly a unique monument. It’s the only example of a ‘cadaver monument’ or ‘transi’ (derived from the Latin word transire, which means to pass) in the Netherlands. The monument consists of two layers: on the top layer, Reinoud III van Brederode and his wife Philippote van der Marck lie side by side as if recently deceased – their eyes closed, mouths slightly open, knees slightly raised and hands folded over each other in their lap. On the lower cover plate, the bodies of the couple are shown in a decomposed state. This transi stands for the memento mori – remember we must die. These are symbols of death and transience.
The symbolism of the transi was not widely known in the 19th Century. Many people found the image unpleasant or even unethical. De Kronijk van de Historisch Genootschap, published in Utrecht in 1851, wrote that “the dissolved body is a literal representation of the corpse of François van Brederode after he drowned in the year 1529 in a stream near Eindhoven.”
Further reading: Grote Kerk Vianen (Great Church), Brederode statue, Batestein Castle, Amaliastein.
