Greetings to all my friends.
Yesterday I was in the city of Deventer (Netherlands). I was there on business. But I did not miss the opportunity to walk around the ancient city. It is indeed one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It still has an unusual, typical Dutch atmosphere that immediately envelops you as soon as you enter the historic part with its authentic architectural buildings, narrow streets and darkened cobblestones.
Today I will tell you about a building located on the central market square. It's hard to pass by it, because it is a real gem of Deventer. At first I thought that it was the former palace of some nobleman or noble merchant. This house is very pompous, majestic and original.
As I got closer, I noticed an information sign that said it was the House of Scales. It was built to weigh the goods sold at the market. The town, founded on the Eissel River, grew and prospered thanks to a large port where merchant ships called. In other words, trade was the main driving force behind the city's growth, bringing in revenue and the opportunity to develop. It is not surprising that the room where the weighing took place is so beautiful and large.
Nowadays, the former weighing room is a museum that houses exhibits related to the history of Deventer. Unfortunately, the museum was closed during my stay in the city. But that didn't stop me from admiring the building itself. And there is a lot to see there.
Nowadays, the former weighing house is a museum that houses exhibits related to the history of Deventer. Unfortunately, the museum was closed during my stay in the city. But that didn't stop me from admiring the building itself. And there is a lot to see there.
So, the House of Scales was built between 1528 and 1531. The bricks, which can be clearly seen in the close-up photo, have darkened with time, and their corners have smoothed out and become gentle. The building has three floors. In its centre is a clock tower. It is golden in colour. This makes it look very rich and pompous. There are two more towers on the sides. They were used as guard rooms. The building has a lot of windows. On the 2nd and 3rd floors, they are decorated with stone ornaments. On the 1st floor, there are red shutters, traditional for Dutch buildings.
The real decoration of the House of Scales is its façade. Large stone staircases are located on both sides of the central water feature with arches and a column in the centre. The roof of the original extension to the central part of the building serves as an attic. The entire front wall is decorated with stucco mouldings depicting scenes from people's lives. The staircase is decorated with stone lions holding a shield depicting a single-headed eagle. All the stone decorations are covered with a layer of green lichen, which testifies to their antiquity.
It's not obvious in the photo, but the 2nd and 3rd floors of the House of Scales are tilted to the right. I don't know whether it has moved over time or was built that way. But it looks a bit creepy.
This is the beautiful building I was able to see yesterday. Next time I go to Deventer, I will definitely visit the museum located in the House of Scales.