If I end up as an old widow in Amsterdam, I'm going to try to bag myself a spot in one of the city's enchanting hofjes.
A hofje is essentially a collection of almshouses that surrounds a central courtyard – and herein lies the appeal. The courtyards, which are generally isolated from the street by a communal door and passageway, provide an oasis of tranquility in this otherwise bustling city and contain well-tended gardens and welcoming benches. The surrounding almshouses are ancient and charming; tiny, yet perfectly fit for purpose as one-person dwellings.
In this blog I'm going to try to feature one hofje each week and today's is Het Raepenhofje on Palmgracht. From the street this hofje looks very much like a house, but the giveaway is the solid, tomato-red front door standing tantalisingly ajar. Push the door and an ancient passageway is revealed, its cobblestones higgledy-piggledy, leading to the courtyard.
Many hofjes were established during the Golden Age by wealthy benefactors as a form of social security, but the concept of the hofje has existed since the Middle Ages. Het Raepenhofje was founded as a home for single Protestant ladies by Pieter Adriaensz. Raep (1581-1666), using part of the inheritance from his father's estate. It is possible that Raep's motivation for doing so was, as a childless man, to achieve some form of immortality. The jaunty turnip above the hofje's entrance represents the family name, raep being an old form of the present day raap (turnip), and his family crest adorns the entrance facade.
Today, Het Raepenhofje is intended for use by single female students, who may continue to live there after their studies until they decide to cohabit. What a gorgeous setting for a student house...
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