5/5 RAGHVENDRA S. 3 years ago on Google
Cologne
Cathedral
(German:
Kölner
Dom,
officially
Hohe
Domkirche
Sankt
Petrus,
English:
Cathedral
Church
of
Saint
Peter)
is
a
Catholic
cathedral
in
Cologne,
North
Rhine-Westphalia,
Germany.
It
is
the
seat
of
the
Archbishop
of
Cologne
and
of
the
administration
of
the
Archdiocese
of
Cologne.
It
is
a
renowned
monument
of
German
Catholicism
and
Gothic
architecture
and
was
declared
a
World
Heritage
Site[4]
in
1996.[5]
It
is
Germany's
most
visited
landmark,
attracting
an
average
of
20,000
people
a
day.[6]
At
157
m
(515
ft),
the
cathedral
is
currently
the
tallest
twin-spired
church
in
the
world,
the
second
tallest
church
in
Europe
after
Ulm
Minster,
and
the
third
tallest
church
in
the
world.[7]
It
is
the
largest
Gothic
church
in
Northern
Europe
and
has
the
second-tallest
spires.
The
towers
for
its
two
huge
spires
give
the
cathedral
the
largest
façade
of
any
church
in
the
world.
The
choir
has
the
largest
height
to
width
ratio,
3.6:1,
of
any
medieval
church.
Construction
of
Cologne
Cathedral
began
in
1248
but
was
halted
in
the
years
around
1560,[9]
unfinished.
Work
did
not
restart
until
the
1840s,
and
the
edifice
was
completed
to
its
original
Medieval
plan
in
1880.[10]
Cologne's
medieval
builders
had
planned
a
grand
structure
to
house
the
reliquary
of
the
Three
Kings
and
fit
its
role
as
a
place
of
worship
for
the
Holy
Roman
Emperor.
Despite
having
been
left
incomplete
during
the
medieval
period,
Cologne
Cathedral
eventually
became
unified
as
"a
masterpiece
of
exceptional
intrinsic
value"
and
"a
powerful
testimony
to
the
strength
and
persistence
of
Christian
belief
in
medieval
and
modern
Europe".[4]
Only
the
telecommunications
tower
is
higher
than
the
Cathedral.[
When
construction
began
on
the
present
Cologne
Cathedral
in
1248
with
foundation
stone,
the
site
had
already
been
occupied
by
several
previous
structures.
The
earliest
may
have
been
for
grain
storage
and
possibly
was
succeeded
by
a
Roman
temple
built
by
Mercurius
Augustus.
From
the
4th
century
on,
however,
the
site
was
occupied
by
Christian
buildings,
including
a
square
edifice
known
as
the
"oldest
cathedral"
that
was
commissioned
by
Maternus,
the
first
bishop
of
Cologne.
A
free-standing
baptistery
dating
back
to
the
7th
century
was
located
at
the
east
end
of
the
present
cathedral
but
was
demolished
in
the
9th
century
to
build
the
second
cathedral.
During
excavations
of
the
present
cathedral,
graves
were
discovered
in
the
location
of
the
oldest
portion
of
the
building;
including
that
of
a
boy
that
was
richly
adorned
with
grave
goods
and
another
of
a
woman,
popularly
thought
to
be
Wisigard.
Both
graves
are
thought
to
be
from
the
6th
century.
Only
ruins
of
the
baptistery
and
the
octagonal
baptismal
font
remain
today.[citation
needed]
The
second
church,
called
the
"Old
Cathedral",
was
completed
in
818.
It
was
destroyed
by
fire
on
30
April
1248,
during
demolition
work
to
prepare
for
a
new
cathedral.[citation
needed]
Medieval
beginning Edit
In
1164,
the
Archbishop
of
Cologne,
Rainald
of
Dassel,
acquired
the
relics
of
the
Three
Kings
which
the
Holy
Roman
Emperor,
Frederick
Barbarossa,
had
taken
from
the
Basilica
of
Sant'Eustorgio,
Milan,
Italy.
(Parts
of
the
relics
have
since
been
returned
to
Milan.)
The
relics
have
great
religious
significance
and
drew
pilgrims
from
all
over
Christendom.
It
was
important
to
church
officials
that
they
be
properly
housed,
and
thus
began
a
building
program
in
the
new
style
of
Gothic
architecture,
based
in
particular
on
the
French
cathedral
of
Amiens.[citation
needed]
The
foundation
stone
was
laid
on
15
August
1248,
by
Archbishop
Konrad
von
Hochstaden.[12]
The
eastern
arm
was
completed
under
the
direction
of
Master
Gerhard,
was
consecrated
in
1322
and
sealed
off
by
a
temporary
wall
so
it
could
be
used
as
the
work
continued.
Eighty-four
misericords
in
the
choir
date
from
this
building
phase.[citation
needed]
In
the
mid
14th
century
work
on
the
west
front
commenced
under
Master
Michael.
This
work
ceased
in
1473,
leaving
the
south
tower
complete
to
the
belfry
level
and
crowned
with
a
huge
crane
that
remained
in
place
as
a
landmark
of
the
Colo
1 person found this review helpful 👍