One of the most fascinating facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that it took hundreds of years to complete. Cathdrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg or Strasbourg Cathedral is the 6th tallest church in the world, built entirely in the medieval period. From 1647 until 1874 it was the world's tallest building and today it is still the highest structure still standing that was built in the middle ages. Strasbourg's 11th-15th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame, damaged in 1870 and again in World War II, has been carefully restored. It also preserves the earliest plans of the cathedral, as well as paintings and tapestries and other objects. Another remarkable feature inside the church is the Strasbourg astronomical clock. Its the third clock on this location and was installed in the year 1843, with previous clocks dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries. In 1372 the work was taken over a master Conrad, also known as Kuntze, about whom little is known, until 1382. Since it was built, the platform has been a popular tourist attraction, and, until recently, a strategic fire lookout. It was the highest building in the world from 1647 to 1874. 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 upper windows of the nave depict eighty-four saints, added by various artists between 1250 and 1275. The new plan was inspired in part by French cathedrals, particularly the Basilica of Saint-Urbain of Troyes. Cathedral facts for kids. [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. Homepage Strasbourg. The church was repaired after each fire, and reconstructions and modifications made, but it retained its essentially Romanesque form, with thick walls, small windows and massive columns. [48] The bishopric of Strasbourg had been elevated to the rank of archbishopric a few months before, in June 1988. Drawing A, circa 1260. 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. They were manufactured between 1638 and 1657 in Paris by Pierre Damour. 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 (. Strasbourg Cathedral is a beautiful Gothic cathedral in the city of Strasbourg, France. There are two altars fixed to west pillars of the crossing, both from the 16th century; one devoted to Saint Pancras of Rome and the other to Saint Maurice. Strasbourg Cathedral (official French: Notre-Dame de Strasbourg ,German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburg, Our Lady of Strasbourg) is the Cathedral in Strasbourg. Select from premium Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral of the highest quality. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Until today, the church remains the 6th-tallest church in the world and is the most prominent landmark in Strasbourg. 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 initial property, inscribed in 1988 on the World Heritage List, was formed by the Grande-le, the historic centre of Strasbourg, structured around the cathedral. A little history about Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Strasbourg's cathedral is an emblematic monument of the city, built on a site that was occupied by an important Roman camp when the city was called Argentoratum, and which has hosted many places of worship over the centuries. Together with the Cologne Cathedral, the faade of the Strasbourg Cathedral is considered to be one of the first buildings in history which made architectural drawings necessary to make it conceivable. Figures of two reclining women hold a cadran (clock face) between them which tells the minutes. 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. In the south transept, the lancet and oculus windows in the two large bays on the east, built in 12201227, are modelled after those in the lower choir of Chartres Cathedral. The new building, with its wooden roof beams, was unfortunately prone to fire; it suffered from fires in 1136, 1140,1150, and 1176. The construction of this church is a mixture of Roman and Gothic architecture. Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Top 10 Little Known Facts about Palais Rohan. It is the second most visited cathedral in France, just after Notre Dame de Paris! The reddish-brown sandstone from the Vosges mountains gives the cathedral its distinctive colour.[8]. They were constructed around its nave in the 12th century to lend support to the thin walls, after the need. I love my Sony A6000, which is light, compact and . Bayeux Tapestry. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for CDV Photo Cathedral Strasbourg France E Brion at the best online prices at eBay! With its spire soaring 142m above the city, Our Lady of Strasbourg Cathedral was the highest building in the West until the nineteenth century. One of the coolest facts about Strasbourg Cathedral is that you can get the best view of all on top of the cathedral itself! It was electrified after 1807, and was restored and modified several times, most recently in 193435 and in 197581, giving it the current forty-seven jeux.[76]. It was built on the site of a chapel from the Merovingian dynasty - the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the fifth to the eighth centuries. 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. Completed in 1439, it looms majestically over the Place de la Cathdrale, a major city square. The genuinely Romanesque chevet can only be seen from the courtyard of the adjacent complex of 18th-century buildings. A little-known treasure of Strasbourg, the gothic Eglise Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune was consecrated in 1053 by the Alsatian Pope Leo IX. Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or Cathdrale de Strasbourg, German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburg or Straburger Mnster), also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. The cathedral was hit by British and American bombs during air raids on the centre of Strasbourg on 11 August 1944, which also heavily damaged the Palais Rohan and the Sainte-Madeleine Church. The construction of the Strasbourg Cathedral, we know today, thereafter started and it took quite a bit of time to finish. The currently visible, much higher crossing dome was designed in grand Romanesque Revival style by the architect Gustave Klotz, after the original dome had been heavily damaged by Prussian shelling during the Siege of Strasbourg. [29][30] The building of the second tower was often discussed, and was seriously proposed when Alsace became part of Germany after the 1871 French-German War in 1871, but was coldly received by the population of Strasbourg, who considered it would be a symbol of German occupation.[31]. Free shipping for many products! It was completed in 1399 and highlight of the cathedral was its 142-metre spire. On the east wall, the windows depict Christ in Majesty, Saint Lawrence, a Virgin and Child, and John the Baptist. The choir was given its multicolour painted decoration, by douard Steinl and Charles Auguste Steinheil, finished in 1879. Constructed of pink sandstone from the Vosges Mountains, it took nearly 3 centuries of work to complete this "gigantic and delicate marvel", as Victor Hugo called it. Bishop Heinrich I von Hasenburg (1181 March 25, 1190) decided to construct a new cathedral, to be more beautiful than that of Basel Munster, which was just being finished. After the war, it was returned to the cathedral by the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section of the United States military.[47]. 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. They are traditionally hung in the arcades of the nave during Advent. Repairs to war damage were completed only in the early 1990s. This included rebuilding the crypt and the addition of new stained-glass windows. [80], The north transept also contains the two baptismal fonts, one circular and one octagonal, in their own architectural settings, They were made by Jost Dotzinger in 1453. Its the capital of the Grand Est region of France in the historic region of Alsace. This faade has been credited to Erwin von Steinback and is considered to be an absolute masterpiece of the Gothic Era. On a clear day, it can be seen all the way from the Vosges Mountains, a mountain range over 30 kilometers to the southeast of the city, and the Black Forest, a famous forest an equal distance to the east! [84], Canon Conrad de Bussnang praying to Virgin and Child. [18], The new church was exceptionally large, just ten meters shorter than the present cathedral, and just ten meters narrower on its west front. Because of this amazing trick, the spire was saved! It was called the Dreiknigsuhr ("three-king clock"), and was located at the opposite wall from where today's clock is. Strasbourg Cathedral Interesting Facts The construction of the cathedral took 424 years. With its elaborate astrological clock and red sandstone surface, a visit to the Cathedral is a must. The most amazing feature of the cathedral is its west faade, 9. [36], A series of major reconstructions and restorations were carried out in the second of the century Gustave Klotz[fr] from 1837 to 1888. Schedule: Monday to Saturday: 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:45 to 5:45 p.m. Sundays and feast days: 2 to 5:15 p.m. May be closed to visiting during services. This was changed and the French Gothic style or Rayonnant Gothic was used for most parts of the cathedral starting in the 13th century. HayleesSilver From shop HayleesSilver. Klotz's dome was in turn heavily damaged by bombing raids during World War II, and restored between 1988 and 1992. How tall is Strasbourg Cathedral? Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg , also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. 1. The current cathedral wasnt the first building on the site, 4.