5/5 Joao Cesar E. 10 years ago on Google
The
Schottenkirche
St.
Jakob
(Scots
Church
of
St.
James)
in
Regensburg
is
a
12th-century
Romanesque
church
famed
for
its
fascinating
north
portal.
Founded
by
Celtic
missionaries
from
Ireland,
the
church
shows
northern
influences
in
its
art
and
architecture.
The
exterior
of
the
Schottenkirche
is
difficult
to
see
as
a
whole,
due
to
tall
trees
on
the
north
side
and
private
buildings
on
the
west
and
south
sides.
It
is
a
basilica-style
church
with
three
aisles,
twin
east
towers,
and
a
two-story
westwork.
The
east
end
and
its
towers
date
from
1100-20;
the
rest
of
the
church
and
the
cloisters
from
c.1150-85.
The
square
east
towers
are
plain
and
topped
with
pointed
roofs.
The
west
end
is
also
plain,
decorated
only
with
Lombard
bands
around
the
top
and
Greek
crosses
incised
in
the
gables.
The
most
interesting
aspect
of
the
Schottenkirche
is
certainly
the
"Schottenportal,"
the
large
and
elaborately
carved
north
portal
dating
from
about
1180.
It
has
been
badly
blackened
by
pollution
but
is
protected
from
further
damage
by
a
large
glass
enclosure
installed
in
1999.
The
tympanum
above
the
north
portal
has
busts
of
Christ,
St.
James
and
St.
John.
The
six
archivolts
are
undecorated
but
terminate
in
sculptures
of
seated
bears
(left)
and
lions
(right)
that
face
the
viewer.
The
six
jambs
on
each
side
alternate
between:
1)
columns
carved
with
foliage
and
geometrical
designs
and
topped
with
capitals
of
foliage
with
faces;
and
2)
grooved
jambs
left
mostly
plain
except
for
awkwardly
kneeling
human
figures
carved
at
the
top
and
bottom.
In
a
wonderfully
mind-bending
image
worthy
of
M.C.
Escher,
the
figure
on
the
inner
bottom
right
jamb
grasps
the
two
solid
grooves
and
pulls
them
around
his
neck
like
a
scarf.
The
figure
at
top
center
right
plays
a
stringed
instrument,
the
one
at
bottom
right
holds
a
T-shaped
staff
associated
with
hermits,
and
the
inner
figure
at
top
left
holds
a
vessel
draped
with
animal
pelts.
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