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strasbourg cathedral facts

The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground. Built of red Vosges sandstone, it is a harmonious edifice despite the variety of its architectural styles. One of the most amazing facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that an addition was made in the early 16th century in the post-Gothic, early-Renaissance style, as well. Take a moment to yourself in the cathedral; sit in a pew and enjoy the peace. It measures 142 m (466 ft) and remained the tallest building in the world until 1847. [53], The portal of Saint-Laurent, on the north transept, The three Kings with the Virgin Mary and child, Original statues in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, The portal of Saint Lawrence, was added to the north transept between 1495 and 1505 by Jacob von (or Jacques de) Landshut, with sculptures by Hans von Aachen (aka Johan von Ach, or Jean d'Aix-la-Chapelle) and Conrad Sifer. [83], In 1547 a new clock was begun by Christian Herlin and others, but the construction was interrupted when the cathedral was handed over to the Roman Catholic Church. Strasbourg Cathedral (official French: Notre-Dame de Strasbourg ,German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburg, Our Lady of Strasbourg) is the Cathedral in Strasbourg. It also dates from the 15th century. Walk through history on a guided walking tour of the Strasbourg Cathedral. Because of this amazing trick, the spire was saved! The same was about to happen to the spire of Strasbourg Cathedral as the agitators who ruled the city during the revolution, referred to as the Enrags, planned to demolish it in April of 1794. In 1524, the city council assigned the cathedral to the Protestant faith, while the building suffered some damage from iconoclastic assaults. Above this is a globe, with painted figures of the Church and the Antichrist confronting each other. [17], The Romanesque chevet of the cathedral, seen in 1671, Romanesque pillars, vaults and squinches of the transept, In 1002, following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, a battle broke out between his potential successors. The nave and choir were composed of three vessels, each with two traverses. The pointed gable over the central portal, decorated with a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and child, reaches up into the space in front of the rose window. The South Transept contains the Pillar of Angels, a massive supporting pillar for the ceiling. The painted figures on the wall represent fathers of the church and founders of religious orders, depicted in Byzantine style. The octagonal vault is covered with arches and lacelike interlaced sculpture in the late Gothic Flamboyant style. Walk up 66 meters to marvel at the view of Strasbourg from the top of the clock. Under the balustrade is a large painting on wood illustrating the Nativity, in a sweeping landscape. The Cathedrale Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic Church renovated and essentially rebuilt (from the original church of 1015) at the end of the 12th century in a Gothic architectural style. The architects of the rebuilding began to include Gothic elements, following the style that had appeared in northern France in the 12th century, while still preserving the existing Romanesque features. It was the highest building in the world from 1647 to 1874. Strasbourg Cathedral is located in the heart of the Grande le, an island that lies at the historic centre of the north-eastern French city and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. A Romanesque portal opens to the cloister outside. The capitals of the columns are decorated with dragons and other mythical creatures. Thanks to the installation of rib vaults, the nave was raised in height to 27 meters, and the upper walls were filled with stained glass windows. Above this is a flamboyant Gothic balustrade with an original sundial from about 1493, and above that are two small rose windows from the same period. The new plan was inspired in part by French cathedrals, particularly the Basilica of Saint-Urbain of Troyes. A pointed arch, a tribune for singers, and a balustrade were added in the 15th century. Its place as the bourdon, or largest and deepest-sounding bell, was taken by an older bell, the "Totenglock", or "Death bell", which was traditionally used for mourning. [18]. All the parts of the clock together are 18m (59ft) high. [85], Statue of Virgin and a processional banner, in the Chapel of St. Andrew, The Chapel of Saint Andrew is on the southeast side, to the right of the apse. The portals are set forward from the front of the church by the network of slender columns, spires and arches which form an outer decorative wall. It was built next to Strasbourg Cathedral in the 1730s, from designs by Robert de Cotte . [72], The creation of Adam and Eve (Narthex) (12801345), The lower bay on the south has stained glass windows that depict the Last Judgement, while the north bay windows illustrate twelve episodes from the Book of Genesis, including the creation of Adam and Eve, the original sin, the expulsion from Paradise, and Noah's ark. A statue on the west side of the pillar represents a famed preacher contemporary with the cathedral; Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg (d. 1510); a small sculpture along the railing of the stairs depicts Geiler's dog, mourning his master on steps of the pulpit where he once preached. [80], The north transept connects with the Chapel of Saint John, entered through a pointed Gothic arch containing a rounded Romanesque arch. In October 1988, when the city celebrated its 2,000th anniversary (as the first official mention of Argentoratum dates from 12 BC), pope John Paul II visited and celebrated mass in the cathedral. Further modifications were made to the crypts in the 12th century. It is surrounded by a big place where tourists and inhabitants of Strasbourg like to take a walk. The tympanum was destroyed in the French Revolution and replaced by a work by the sculptor Jean Vallastre[fr] (17651833). It is separated from the nave by two massive pillars, 8.5 by 5 meters, which support the tower above. Ensingen worked on the cathedral from 1399 to 1419, taking over from Claus von Lohre, and Hltz from 1419 to 1439, completing the building at last. Other articles where Cathedral of Notre-Dame is discussed: Strasbourg: The contemporary city: Strasbourg's 11th-15th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame, damaged in 1870 and again in World War II, has been carefully restored. The cupola itself rests upon four squinches, a base made of rounded arches, which make the connection between the Gothic and Romanesque elements. Firstly the cathedral, the second most visited French cathedral after Notre Dame de Paris; secondly the picture-book historic quarter of Petite France, with its half-timbered medieval houses and its quays overlooking branches of the river Ill (that is the river " ill "); and thirdly . Johann Knauth, le sauveur de la cathdrale", "Les rcentes fouilles de Strasbourg (19471948), leurs rsultats pour la chronologie d'Argentorate", "Dcouverte majeure sous la cathdrale: un bassin antique serait la premire piscine baptismale de Strasbourg", "Des lgionnaires romains aux btisseurs de la cathdrale: la fouille de la place du Chteau Strasbourg", "1340 1371: Construction de la chapelle Sainte-Catherine et de la tour nord", "LA CATHDRALE DE STRASBOURG CATHDRALE FRANAISE? Most of these windows date back to the 12th and 13th centuries! Previous buildings on the site Find Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. It is in a Neo-Byzantine style, with Christ in a red frame in the center. The small circular windows above the Emperors depict scenes from the life of Christ.[73]. By the use of buttresses and a double wall, the outer wall decorative with wide spaces, and the inner wall bearing the weight and having large windows, the interior of the cathedral could have more light. Each has a particular theme of decoration; the left portal is dedicated to the infancy of Christ, the central portal to redemption, and the right portal to the Last Judgement. An additional element of decoration is given by the small sculpted, painted, and gilded heads on the keystones of the vaults, where the ribs meet. The work of Professor Robert O. Bork of the University of Iowa suggests that the design of the Strasbourg faade, while seeming almost random in its complexity, can be constructed using a series of rotated octagons. [10], The history of Strasbourg's cathedral is well documented thanks to the archives of the Notre-Dame Foundation, the city of Strasbourg, and of the diocese. It is easily recognizable by its pink sandstone faade and its unique tower. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. The reverse of the central doors of the portal has a column statue of Saint Peter holding the keys of the kingdom and above it a blind rose, without glass, a miniature version of the large rose window above it. And finally, here's my list of the top 4 packing essentials you shouldn't head to the Strasbourg Cathedral without. Its also the capital of the Bas-Rhin department. One of the most fascinating facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that it took hundreds of years to complete. [79]. Like the city of Strasbourg, the cathedral connects German and French cultural influences, while the eastern structures, e.g. Is Strasbourg in Germany or France? The northern transept is decorated with the Emperor Windows, also referred to as the Kaiserfenster.. It's easy to get to by train from other regions in France (I took a direct train from Paris) or by car if you are driving. Outside, the facade is the greatest "book" of images the Middle Ages has to offer. A paleochristian church or cathedral is believed to have been founded by an edict of Clovis I, but its exact location and appearance is unknown. Strasbourg Cathedral (1015-1439) is an absolute masterpiece of Gothic art. Overview Download history Purchase history Invoices Boards SIGN OUT. The new building, with its wooden roof beams, was unfortunately prone to fire; it suffered from fires in 1136, 1140,1150, and 1176. The chapel contains the tomb of Bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg, made between 1310 and 1320, and now framed by flamboyant tripe arch. The windows are devoted to nine Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. It took hundreds of years to complete. The extension concerns the Neustadt, new town, designed and built under the German administration (1871-1918). The outgoing 15th century was marked by the sermons of Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg and by the emerging Protestant Reformation, represented in Strasbourg by figures such as John Calvin, Martin Bucer and Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck. Interior of the Strasbourg cathedral De kathedraal van Straatsburg (Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, Strassburger Mnster) behoort tot de grootste en beroemdste kathedralen van Frankrijk. In 1956, the Council of Europe donated the famous choir window by Max Ingrand, the "Strasbourg Madonna" (see also Flag of Europe Biblical interpretation). It was the tallest building of world for over 227 years. A trick saved the cathedrals spire during the French Revolution, 13. It's the most. By car Served by the A4 and the A35. The upper windows at Strasbourg fill the entire space between the triforium and the vaults. This faade has been credited to Erwin von Steinback and is considered to be an absolute masterpiece of the Gothic Era. 26 November the Church (majestic and crowned), King Solomon (above two other small statues of children evoking his famous judgement), and the Synagogue (eyes blindfolded, a sign of the refusal of true faith by the Jewish religion). There are three stairways down to the crypt, the oldest, from the apse, dates to about 1150. It is reached by a stairway with a curling sculpted design called "butterfly wings". This mechanism displays the phases of the moon. The Strasbourg astronomical clock is located in the Cathdrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Klotz's dome was in turn heavily damaged by bombing raids during World War II, and restored between 1988 and 1992. Construction of the original, on the exact site of a Roman temple, was initiated in 1015 but later destroyed by a fire. In 2015, the city has celebrated the millennial anniversary of its cathedral. [50], The restoration of the tower was completed in 2006, and in 2014 a new campaign of restoration was begun on the south transept. [56], Lintel decoration Mary ascends to Heaven, Ecclesia and Synagoga among other statues from the cathedral in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, The south portal, or Portal of the Virgin, dates to about the 1220s, the same time as the Pillar of the Angels and the Astronomic clock in the interior. [17] The first recorded bishop, Amand, participated in the Councils of Cologne and Sardique in 346 and 347. One of the coolest facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that you can get the best view of all on top of the cathedral itself! The Steinbachs's plans for the completion of the cathedral were not followed through by the chief architects who took over after them, and instead of the originally envisioned two spires, a single, octagonal tower with an elongated, octagonal crowning was built on the northern side of the west facade by master Ulrich von Ensingen and his successor, Johannes Hltz. The walls are pierced with narrow slits, like a medieval fortress, giving it a very military appearance. The city celebrated its 2,000th anniversary in October of the year 1988 because it was first mentioned as the Ancient Roman settlement of Argentoratum in the year 12 B.C. Construction of the Neo-Romanessque dome over the transept was begun, and new bronze doors were installed in 1879. [83], The central tower is composed of three levels. These windows consist of 5 sets and depict 19 Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The arched tympanum over the doors of the central portal is crowded with sculpture, as are the voussures, the stone arches around the door. Ad vertisement from shop HayleesSilver. Described by Victor Hugo as a "gigantic and delicate marvel",[7] and by Goethe as a "sublimely towering, wide-spreading tree of God",[2] the cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace and can be seen from as far off as the Vosges Mountains or the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine. Between 1200 and 1228, the Romanesque vaults of the north transept were replaced by the pointed Gothic rib vault, which were stronger and shifted the thrust of the weight outwards, reducing the need for massive pillars in the interior. The narthex is the portion of the cathedral just inside the west front, beneath the tower. This artifact was later kept in the historical collections of the city until they were all destroyed during the Siege of Strasbourg in a massive fire in August 1870. The Strasbourg Cathedral is impossible to miss as it towers above the surrounding buildings and is located in the center of the city. While Strasbourg, today, is a symbol of unity in Europe, for centuries, it was at the center of conflict. Strasbourg Cathedral Interesting Facts The construction of the cathedral took 424 years. During the French Revolution in the late 18th century, churches in France were in great danger. The sacristy occupies the upper level over the chapel. The more recent one is under the transept, from about 1150, and the older one, under the apse, was built in about 1110 to 1120. Between the lower tower and spire there is a balustrade, almost hidden by pinnacles and other architectural decoration. This is a real masterpiece of high Gothic. Select from premium Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral of the highest quality. Today, the city is one of the most important cities in Europe as its home to several European institutions, including the European Parliament. [18], The next major step was the reconstruction of the nave into the Gothic style, which took place between 1240 and 1274. Different characters, representing the ages of life (from a child to an old man) parade in front of Death. Archaeological excavations below and around the cathedral have been conducted in 1896-1897, 1907, 1923-1924, 1947-1948, between 1966 and 1972, and finally between 2012 and 2014.. From the platform of Strasbourg Cathedral, 66 meters above the ground, discover a striking panorama of the city in 1490 to the west, and in 1730 to the east. Completed in 1439, it looms majestically over the Place de la Cathdrale, a major city square. Another two old bells by Mathieu Edel (1787) ring on the quarter hours. ABOUT Strasbourg Cathedral: discover the Gothic masterpiece! It replaces the original window which was one of the few windows not put into safe storage before World War II; it was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1944. [72], The three levels of the nave; arcades and collateral aisles (bottom); triforium, and upper windows, The nave is the section of the cathedral between the narthex and the choir where ordinary parishioners are seated and worship. Strasbourg is, indeed, in France. 00 4006 Langhausorgel im Strassburger Mnster.jpg 1,467 2,200; 3.7 MB 14-02-07-Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg-RalfR-05.jpg 2,848 4,288; 9.23 MB 14-02-07-Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg-RalfR-11.jpg 2,848 4,288; 8.14 MB Theres a statue of the main architect next to the cathedral, 8. Architect Jakob von Landshut and sculptor Hans von Aachen rebuilt the portal of the northern portal, now referred to as the Saint-Lawrence portal or Portail Saint-Laurent, starting in 1505, which was the height of the Renaissance period. Cathedral facts for kids. The crossing of the transept and the choir is topped by the central cupola or dome, which is supported by four gigantic pillars, each wrapped in eight columns, which reach up to support the vaults under the cupola. (15th c.), The chapel as it appeared in the 14th century (19th-century engraving), Tomb of Bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg (131020), The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located just to the left of the apse, at the northeast end of the cathedral. [25] The three men completed the bell tower over the central part of the faade, in a design that moved away from Gerlach von Steinbach's initial idea of a central tower and whose precise authorship is unknown. The sculpture of the portals was returned to its places or restored between 1811 and 1827. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely considered[2][3][4][5] to be among the finest examples of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. The Director of public works of Strasbourg, Grold, quickly took down and protected the statues of the portal, but 215 statues of the voussures over the portals were smashed with hammers, as were the angels atop the gables on the facade, and the crowns and sceptres of the statues of the kings. Free or royalty-free photos and images. Among the paintings, those worthy of mention are the "Assumption of the Virgin" and "Ascension of Christ", by Joseph Heim (1787-1865). Strasbourg is a city in eastern France, the prefecture of Grand Est. This magnificent cathedral is located in the city of Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country. When the nave was rebuilt in Gothic style in the 13th century, the old windows were reinstalled in random locations. The central decoration is sculptural work dedicated to the Virgin Mary donated by the de Barby brothers in 1521. The grand organ, located high on the wall of the north side of the nave, is recorded as existing in 1260. An even older bell, by Jean Jacques-Miller (1595), repeats the sounding of the hours one minute later. Theres a reason why the church has an asymmetrical form, 12. The reason is simply that the intention was to eventually build the south tower, but this never happened, resulting in the buildings distinctive form today. A retrouver dans la galerie. LMENTS POUR UNE RPONSE", Les grandes dates de lhistoire de la Cathdrale de Strasbourg, "1439 1527: Strasbourg, loge suprme du Saint-Empire romain germanique", "Strasbourg Cathedral and the French Revolution (17891802)", "1906-1926: Consolidation des fondations du pilier de la tou", "CLBRATION DANS LA CATHDRALE DE NOTRE-DAME STRASBOURG HOMLIE DU PAPE JEAN-PAUL II Samedi, 8 octobre 1988", "Sculpture - Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame", "L'histoire de la sculpture de saint Arbogast", "1399 1419: Construction de la haute tour", "Jubil du demi-millnaire de la flche de la cathdrale de Strasbourg. The belltower is 142 m high. The current cathedral wasnt the first building on the site, 4. The portal outside the northern transept is equally fascinating, 10. The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground. Only the names remain carved on the walls. Media in category "Strasbourg Cathedral organ" The following 102 files are in this category, out of 102 total. [67] It is surrounded and supported by four more slender towers containing circular stairways.

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