On the south side of the nave, the upper walls have windows depicting female saints, including local saints from Alsace or Strasbourg. [19], 1277 plan for west front (Plan Riss B restitution), Construction of Strasbourg Cathedral, by Thophile Schuler, 1850, Strasbourg Cathedral in the Middle Ages, painting by August von Bayer (19th century), The next major project was the rebuilding of the west front, or facade, in the Gothic style. Just think of the Tour Saint Jacques, a sight in Paris that had its entire church demolished. Construction History of the Strasbourg Cathedral in Alsace. [41][42], During World War II, the cathedral was seen as a symbol for both warring parties. One of the architects was Erwin von Steinbach. 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. The octagon tower was begun in 1399 by Ulrich von Ensingen (chief architect until 1419), and crowned with a spire by his successor Johannes Hltz. One of the most remarkable facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that even though its considered to be the epitome of a church in the Gothic architectural style, the first phase consisted of Romanesque buildings. Plans to rebuild and restore the Notre Dame Cathedral are underway, with donations pouring in from all over. How tall is Strasbourg Cathedral? The altar was recreated in 1809 by the architect Pierre-Valentin Boudhors, who discovered the old central medallion of the original altar and combined it with white and black marble panels. [70], The chevet, at the northeast end of the cathedral, close to the transept, has vestiges that go back to the Romanesque cathedral, particularly at the lower levels. It is the seat of a Bishop. This mechanism displays the phases of the moon. [18], The next major step was the reconstruction of the nave into the Gothic style, which took place between 1240 and 1274. De bouw van het uit roze zandsteen opgetrokken gebouw begon in 1176 en werd na 263 jaar in 1439 afgerond strasbourg cathedral stock pictures, royalty . The central decoration is sculptural work dedicated to the Virgin Mary donated by the de Barby brothers in 1521. In 1956, the Council of Europe donated the famous choir window by Max Ingrand, the "Strasbourg Madonna" (see also Flag of Europe Biblical interpretation). Construction of the Neo-Romanessque dome over the transept was begun, and new bronze doors were installed in 1879. [16], A Roman settlement called Argentoratum, twenty hectares in size, existed on the site since about 12 B.C., at a strategic point where bridges crossed the Rhine and two of its tributaries. HayleesSilver From shop HayleesSilver. The exterior height of the central nave reaches an astounding 40 meters (130 feet) as well. Theres a statue of the main architect next to the cathedral, 8. 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. It is one of the oldest parts of the cathedral, constructed in about 1170 and then rebuilt in Gothic style in 1230, with the same height as the adjoining nave. Walk up 66 meters to marvel at the view of Strasbourg from the top of the clock. It weighs 7.5 tons and 2.2 meters in diameter, and was cast in 1447 by Hans Gremp. Three high-spots make the visit unforgettable. Find Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The planned south tower was never built and as a result, with its characteristic asymmetrical form, the cathedral is now the premier landmark of Alsace. A pointed arch frames the window, and a row of blind arches at the lower level completes the decoration. Strasbourg Cathedral is over one thousand years old. [8], The nave is dominated by the two rows of massive pillars. In 1524, the city council assigned the cathedral to the Protestant faith, while the building suffered some damage from iconoclastic assaults. Is Strasbourg in Germany or France? Strasbourg Cathedral (official French: Notre-Dame de Strasbourg ,German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburg, Our Lady of Strasbourg) is the Cathedral in Strasbourg. [84], Canon Conrad de Bussnang praying to Virgin and Child. The statue of the "Synagogue" is blindfolded, since Jews did not recognise the divinity of Christ. The transept of the cathedral was 55 meters long, the same length as the nave and choir. A large arched bay occupies the central portion, just below a balustrade. Protestant and Revolutionary iconoclasm, the war periods of 1681, 1870 and 19401944, as well as changes in taste and liturgy, have taken a toll on some of Strasbourg Cathedral's most outstanding features such as the choir screen of 1252 and the successive high altars (ca. 5 out of 5 stars (7,356) $ 17.50. The choir and the north transept of the cathedral were completed in a Romanesque style starting in 1176, and it wasnt until the year 1225 that the switch was made to the Gothic style. It was originally made in 1498 by Nicolas Roder for the cemetery of Saint-Thomas, and was based on engravings by Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Drer. This is also true for Ecclesia and Synagoga, arguably the most famous statues of the cathedral, if not of Strasbourg. The most amazing feature of the cathedral is its west faade, 9. The cathedral is known for its ornate architecture and is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. [17], The first cathedral built on the present site was erected by the bishop Saint Arbogast in about 550575. It dates to the end of the 15th century. In 2015, the city has celebrated the millennial anniversary of its cathedral. [84], The main altar, in the form of a tomb, is a recreation of an earlier altar in the rocaille or late baroque style, which had been damaged in a fire in 1759 and then ruined during the French Revolution. It also contains the tomb of Conrad de Bussnang, a prominent member of the chapter, whose image is portrayed in sculpture praying before the Virgin and child. 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. [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. 1439-1939", "Straburger Mnster, Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg", "Straburger Mnster Mnster Unserer Lieben Frau", Notre Dame Cathedral (original plans and contemporary photographs), Historical Sketch of the Cathedral of Strasbourg, Diocese of GrenobleVienne-les-Allobroges, Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris, Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Paris, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great of Paris, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strasbourg_Cathedral&oldid=1140780300, 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France, Roman Catholic churches completed in 1439, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles needing cleanup from October 2021, Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from October 2021, Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from October 2021, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Articles with MusicBrainz place identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, First Emperor Window: HENRICUS REX (presumably, Fourth Emperor Window: KAROLUS D[ic]C[tu]S MARTEL PATER BIPPINI (, Fifth Emperor Window: LOTHARIUS ROMANORUM IMPERATOR (. While the spire is the most prominent feature, the western faade is the most impressive element of the cathedrals design. This is crowned by the cross, which is surrounded by four smaller crosses and images of the host and chalice, elements of the liturgy of the Eucharist. Strasbourg Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. This faade has been credited to Erwin von Steinback and is considered to be an absolute masterpiece of the Gothic Era. "We will rebuild Notre-Dame together because that is what our history deserves." The goal is to have the repairs completed in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Strasbourg Cathedral is impossible to miss as it towers above the surrounding buildings and is located in the center of the city. The Silbermann organ had three keyboards, thirty-nine jeux, or effects and two thousand, two hundred forty-two pipes. Add to Favorites . It is decorated with four vertical groups of statue-columns, depicting scenes from Christ and the Last Judgement, as well as four angels carrying the instruments of the Passion, and above that, four more angels sounding trumpets. The Neustadt draws the inspiration for its urban layout partially . [86], Original wimperg of the faade in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, Original statues of the Tempter, the foolish Virgins and the wise Virgins from the right faade portal, Bust (ca. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world and the highest still standing extant structure built entirely in the Middle Ages. Select from premium Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral of the highest quality. 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. Drawing A, circa 1260. The South Transept contains the Pillar of Angels, a massive supporting pillar for the ceiling. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is the landmark of the city and known in the whole world. 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. He reconstructed the dome over the transept in a grander, Romanesque Revival style. The capitals of the columns are decorated with dragons and other mythical creatures. Outside, the facade is the greatest "book" of images the Middle Ages has to offer. The current cathedral was completed in 1439 and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988. Both the interior and exterior of the Strasbourg Cathedral are extraordinary, once called by Victor Hugo "a prodigy of the gigantic and the delicate." Built on the foundations of a Roman. The construction of this church is a mixture of Roman and Gothic architecture. The choir was given its multicolour painted decoration, by douard Steinl and Charles Auguste Steinheil, finished in 1879. The elevation has the traditional High Gothic or Rayonnant Gothic three levels; large arcades below, with windows on the collateral aisles; a narrow triforium, or gallery, also with windows, for passing along the walls; and above that, of equal height with the arcades the upper windows which reach up into the vaults. [8], A set of "Emperor" windows, (Otto I, Otto II, Otto III, Conrad II, Henry III), Emperors Philip of Swabia, Henry IV, Henry V, Frederick II, Henry II of Bamberg, with head remounted on earlier body (1522), The five lower bays on the north side contain some of the oldest stained glass of the cathedral, installed in the old Romanesque cathedral in about 1180.