Beguinage Amsterdam - one of the oldest enclosed courtyards of Amsterdam. Beguinage - a village-community of Beguines, women who were close to the monastic way of life, but may at any time withdraw from the community, to get married, are able to retain their property, etc. Beguinage appeared in Europe in the XII century and became very common in the XIII century, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. Now the nuns Beguines almost gone.

Beguinage - the only indoor courtyard, which was formed in the Middle Ages. It is located inside the Singel - the innermost ring of canals in Amsterdam. Yard Beguinage and remained at the level of medieval streets - that is about a meter below the rest of the city streets. The exact date of foundation of the Beguinage is unknown, it is believed that the first Beguines appeared in Amsterdam in 1307. The document mentions that in 1346 in one of the houses have already been accommodated Beguines and indoor courtyard was first mentioned in written records in 1389. Houses, forming Beguinage - high houses built in the typical "Amsterdam" style. In total there are 47 buildings, each of them - a separate building, which differs from the neighboring. Facades are mainly related to the XVII and XVIII centuries, but the buildings themselves are much older. It also remained one of the two wooden houses of Amsterdam.

The small church of the Virgin Mary appeared in the Beguinage in 1397, and after fires in 1421 and 1452 it had to be rebuilt. During the Reformation, the Catholic Church was handed over to the British, and has since been called the English Church. In 1665, at the Beguinage it was built own church. The city authorities have given permission for the construction, provided that the outside of the church will not look like a church.

Currently Beguinage is not established in the literal sense, since last living here Beguines, Sister Antonia, died in 1974.