Sint-Nicolaasplaats and almshouse

The Sint-Nicolaasgodshuis or Sint-Niklaasgodshuis on Lange Nieuwstraat and Sint-Nicolaasplaats is a former almshouse in the city of Antwerp. It is a small square surrounded by some old houses and a Saint Nicholas chapel, with in the center a statue of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of the Meerseniers (cobblers, tailors, tinsmiths, grocers). The house of worship was founded in 1422 by the craftsmen of the Meerseniers to take care of impoverished members of their craft. The buildings previously housed the guest house of the Falcontinnen. In 1423, the chapel of the new guild almshouse was dedicated to Sint-Niklaas, the patron saint of the Meerseniers. During the French rule, the almshouse came under the supervision of the Board of Civil Almshouses. It served as housing for the elderly and indigent until 1842. The chapel was closed in 1876 as a place of worship and became a warehouse for tapestries. In 1958-1968, the building complex was thoroughly renovated on the initiative of the Commission for Public Assistance and by the architect Fritz Van Averbeke. The chapel was cleared, all plastered facades were stripped, the interiors were completely renovated and a baroque gateway was added. The Van Campen puppet theater moved into the chapel. The square functions as a kind of cultural center where various theater companies, including the Violieren, one of the ancient chambers of rhetoric of the city of Antwerp, have their permanent home. The house of worship is a protected monument.Source: Wikipedia