A beautiful view of the Montelbaanstoren. It is a historic tower in Amsterdam. It was built in 1516 on the Oude Schans, also known as the Montelbaansgracht, and in the 16th century, as part of the medieval city wall, it initially served as a watchtower over the port facilities and the Lastage commercial district after it was set on fire several times by the Gelderlanders.
From 1606 onwards, the tower was no longer used for its original purpose and was given a wooden spire designed by the architect Hendrick de Keyser, including a clock with a striking mechanism. Since then, the tower has been 48 metres high.
It is popularly nicknamed Malle Jaap (“Stupid Jaap”), which comes from the inaccuracy of the clock and its striking in the 17th century. Since the tower was under the control of the city authorities for water level regulation in the canals from 1878 to 2006, it was not open to the public. Since 2010, the tower has been the headquarters of the Stichting Secret Garden.
The Dutch painter Rembrandt lived near the tower for a long time and drew it several times without its top.
(Wikipedia)