Willemstad, Netherlands: Dome Church

The Dome Church's history is linked to that of the town - which you could imagine in a very tiny village. It opened for business in 1607, so that meant that Willemstad went more than 40 years (founded 1565) without a church of its own.

The building has taken some hits over the years. In 1793, the French Army showed up with bad intentions. Willemstad kept the French out, but the building suffered damage. Then in 1944, the Dome was hit 18 times by shells and needed a major renovation. Soon after it was fixed, a major fire broke out and the place was a mess - only walls were left standing. So the good citizens of Willemstad simply started over, with a few items remaining from the old facility.