Latin School, Leiden
Latin schools were quite common throughout 17th-century Europe. Forerunners of today's grammar schools, they had classes taught solely in Latin. The aim was to provide preparatory courses for the university.
The Latin School in Leiden is a national monument, primarily due to the fact that among its students, at the time, was none other than Rembrandt van Rijn. Rembrandt attended the school from 1616 to 1620 and left without graduating. Whilst here he had learned to sketch, under Henricus Rieverlinck, his first art teacher.
A son of hard-working parents (his father was a miller, a middle-class profession in the 17th century), Rembrandt was their youngest child, for whom a career in art was not particularly envisaged. Luckily for us, though, Rembrandt did not choose a life of grinding grain, not even to make beer.
The Latin School building on Lokhorststraat dates from 1599-1600 and was designed in modern Renaissance style, with a high-rising stepped gable with widening on the right side. The entrance gate is in Tuscan style.
After the Latin School, the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden occupied the building until 1883, followed by other educational institutions after that. In 1982, the building was thoroughly restored and rented out to offices.
Presently, it is closed to visitors; however, you can still get your portrait sketched by Rembrandt van Rijn himself here. All you need to do is look in through the ground-floor window where you will see the brush strokes appear on the canvas, as if by magic. How cool is that! And if you had your sketch made, you can download it the following day.
Opening times:
Every day, from 09:00 to 17:00
The Latin School in Leiden is a national monument, primarily due to the fact that among its students, at the time, was none other than Rembrandt van Rijn. Rembrandt attended the school from 1616 to 1620 and left without graduating. Whilst here he had learned to sketch, under Henricus Rieverlinck, his first art teacher.
A son of hard-working parents (his father was a miller, a middle-class profession in the 17th century), Rembrandt was their youngest child, for whom a career in art was not particularly envisaged. Luckily for us, though, Rembrandt did not choose a life of grinding grain, not even to make beer.
The Latin School building on Lokhorststraat dates from 1599-1600 and was designed in modern Renaissance style, with a high-rising stepped gable with widening on the right side. The entrance gate is in Tuscan style.
After the Latin School, the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden occupied the building until 1883, followed by other educational institutions after that. In 1982, the building was thoroughly restored and rented out to offices.
Presently, it is closed to visitors; however, you can still get your portrait sketched by Rembrandt van Rijn himself here. All you need to do is look in through the ground-floor window where you will see the brush strokes appear on the canvas, as if by magic. How cool is that! And if you had your sketch made, you can download it the following day.
Opening times:
Every day, from 09:00 to 17:00
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Leiden. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Latin School on Map
Sight Name: Latin School
Sight Location: Leiden, Netherlands (See walking tours in Leiden)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Leiden, Netherlands (See walking tours in Leiden)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Leiden, Netherlands
Create Your Own Walk in Leiden
Creating your own self-guided walk in Leiden is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Leiden Introduction Walking Tour
In the year 860, at the confluence of the Old Rhine and the New Rhine, there was a settlement called "Leithon." This word referred to a canalized river. The name is appropriate. Leiden from its beginnings was a city of canals.
In 1060 Alewin I, landlord of Leiden, built his fortified keep, the "Burcht" ("Fort"). The village of Leiden huddled around the fortified... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
In 1060 Alewin I, landlord of Leiden, built his fortified keep, the "Burcht" ("Fort"). The village of Leiden huddled around the fortified... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
In the Footsteps of Young Rembrandt
Once a thriving hub for trade and textile manufacturing, and a home to Holland's oldest university, Leiden also made history as the birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn, one of the greatest visual artists of the mankind, renowned for his ingenious use of light and shadow, and life-like portraits. The Golden Age of the Netherlands can still be felt in Leiden, especially if you follow in the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles