Bloedstraat

Bloedstraat (Blood Street), connects the old city gate to Amsterdam’s oldest canal and many claim it named after the blood of executed prisoners, which drained down the Weigh House/Gate house and into the waters.

But there are actually multiple stories on how the street got such a gruesome name – Blood street. The current street holds the outline of an old Francisican monastery from the 13th and 14th century and remnants of the monastery can be seen in the walls and grounds of the homes. There was even a graveyard under the current ground where we stand. During renovations of the houses here people will continue to find remains of bodies from those times with a large amount of bodies excavated from this site in as late as 2001.

The monastery housed what was termed a blood room. A kind of medieval hospital were the poor and injured were sent to have limbs hacked off. And apparently blood would typically flow from this room and into streets, thus the name of the street.

But there’s more. During the Spanish Inquisition St. Francis of Assisi and the Duke of Alba were sent to occupy this monastery and hold it as a home base to secure Amsterdam in the Low Countries on behalf of the king of Spain. While here they ruled with an iron fist and become known as the Council of Blood. Anyone who disobeyed the Spanish Inquisitions or didn’t share their philosophy or religion was killed – their murders conspired and plotted in this very place.

This street is continued partically haunted from all the death that took place here. Vistors to these streets frequently report hearing moans and groans, but perhaps they are just hearing noises from some people behind certain curtains.....