Oudenbosch Basilica

Halderberge, Netherlands

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Wheelchair access: Partly accessible
Phone: +31 165 330 502

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

The Oudenbosch Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in the Dutch village of Oudenbosch, North Brabant, designed by architect Pierre Cuypers and built between 1865 and 1892. Dedicated to the Christian martyrs Agatha of Sicily and Barbara of Nicomedia, it was constructed at the initiative of parish priest Willem Hellemons. The basilica's interior and nave were modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, while its facade replicates the Basilica of St. John Lateran, making it architecturally atypical for northern Europe—a classical Italian structure of considerable scale in a small town. The basilica's existence owes partly to Pope Pius IX's gratitude toward Dutch Papal Zouaves and local Catholics who gathered in Oudenbosch in 1868 before traveling to Rome to defend the Papal State. Originally a church, it was designated a minor basilica in 1912. Rising 63 meters, it is a Rijksmonument and houses a relic of the cloak worn by Pope John Paul II during the 1981 assassination attempt.