The small circular windows above the Emperors depict scenes from the life of Christ.[73]. 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 the seat of the Archbishop of Strasbourg and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. These are the best places for couples seeking sights & landmarks in Strasbourg: Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg; La Petite France; glise Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune; Barrage Vauban; Centre-ville de Strasbourg; See more sights & landmarks for couples in Strasbourg on Tripadvisor The first stone was placed on May 25, 1277, by Bishop Conrad of Lichtenberg. Every day at solar noon, Christ and the Apostles go on a procession and the rooster is integrated into the clock crows thrice. Today, the city is one of the most important cities in Europe as its home to several European institutions, including the European Parliament. Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg , also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. This massive faade was decorated with thousands of figures giving it a unique and magnificent impression! The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground. How tall is Strasbourg Cathedral? One of the most fascinating churches in the world can be found in the east of France. Under Charlemagne, the Bishop Remi consecrated the altar and built a funeral crypt in about 778. The construction, and later maintenance, of the cathedral is supervised by the Fondation de l'uvre Notre-Dame ("Foundation of Our Lady") since at least 1224. In 1682, the choir screen (built in 1252) was broken out to expand the choir towards the nave. 5 out of 5 stars (7,356) $ 17.50. Under the roof of the Klotz tower are the six bells that ring the weekly masses but also the baptisms, marriages and deaths of parishioners. By plane 15 minutes from Strasbourg Airport. Construction of the new cathedral began on the foundations of the preceding structures. The crossing dome is placed over the meeting point of the transept and the choir, and, like the bell tower, has eight sides. Architect Erwin von Steinbach is credited for major contributions from 1277 to his death in 1318, and beyond through his son Johannes von Steinbach, and his grandson Gerlach von Steinbach, who succeeded him as chief architects. The ornate and colourful decoration of pinnacle, spires, and sculpture Sculpture also hangs beneath the organ, including a moving figure of Samson opening the jaws of a lion. 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! 300 years actually, give or take a few decade! 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. The urban community is the residence for 467,375 people, while the city proper was occupied by 272,975 people based on the report in 2006. In 1518, a 'dancing plague' affected around 400 people in Strasbourg, Alsace (Now a city of France . The chair of Bishop Broughton, first Anglican Bishop of Sydney, Australia. The columns are purely decorative, and are so thin they are compared to the strings of a harp. They are covered with Romanesque groin vaults, formed by the intersection of rounded barrel vaults, and supported by massive cruciform pillars and cylindrical columns with palm leaf decoration on their capitals. It was completed in 1399 and highlight of the cathedral was its 142-metre spire. The exterior height of the central nave reaches an astounding 40 meters (130 feet) as well. These include some of the original statues from the portals and faade dating from the 13th century, including the statues of "The Church" and "The Synagogue" from the portal of the south transept. After the annexation of the city by Louis XIV of France, on 30 September 1681, and a mass celebrated in the cathedral on 23 October 1681 in presence of the king and prince-bishop Franz Egon of Frstenberg,[33] the cathedral was returned to the Catholics and its inside redesigned according to the Catholic liturgy of the Counter-Reformation. [18], The new church was exceptionally large, just ten meters shorter than the present cathedral, and just ten meters narrower on its west front. With its spire soaring 142m above the city, Our Lady of Strasbourg Cathedral was the highest building in the West until the nineteenth century. The arched tympanum over the doors of the central portal is crowded with sculpture, as are the voussures, the stone arches around the door. 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 original Romanesque cathedral burned down in the year 1176 and the construction of the modern-day cathedral started shortly after this disaster. [69] The medieval crossing dome's aspect was altered several times over the centuries. [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. The church is located in the Alsace Region in eastern France, 2. 15 Fabulous Facts About Luxembourg Palace, A-Z Index - Art Timeline - Architecture Timeline - Contact - Terms - Privacy Policy - About Art Facts, 1. In 2015, the city has celebrated the millennial anniversary of its cathedral. [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. [81], The man on the balustrade (south transept). Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. It is the least decorated side of the cathedral. 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. The most amazing feature of the cathedral is its west faade, 9. The first version of the church was starting to be built during 1015 by proposal of Bishop Werner von Habsburg, but fire destroyed most of . You will surely enjoy exploring the vibrant . 1. It is the seat of a Bishop. They are traditionally hung in the arcades of the nave during Advent. 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. 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 is the second most visited cathedral in France, just after Notre Dame de Paris! [49], In 2000, an Al-Qaeda plot to bomb the adjacent Christmas market was prevented by French and German police. It is still in place.[86]. [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 was called the Dreiknigsuhr ("three-king clock"), and was located at the opposite wall from where today's clock is. This was then carried out in the south transept. Strasbourg's 11th-15th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame, damaged in 1870 and again in World War II, has been carefully restored. Take the time to marvel at the magnificent, amazing statuary inside and outside of this masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Above this is a globe, with painted figures of the Church and the Antichrist confronting each other. Even though the cathedral was eventually surpassed in height by the St. Nikolai Church in Hamburg, Germany, it still holds the record of being the tallest church in the world that was completely constructed during the Middle Ages. They were manufactured between 1638 and 1657 in Paris by Pierre Damour. [72] Rays of yellow glass radiate outwards like a sun, surrounded mosaic-like pieces of green and blue and by small oculi with red floral designs. 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 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. "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. Most of the sculptures decorating this portal are copies and the originals are on display in a museum in Strasbourg called the Muse de luvre Notre-Dame.. . 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! This faade has been credited to Erwin von Steinback and is considered to be an absolute masterpiece of the Gothic Era. The current cathedral wasnt the first building on the site, 4. #1 A Good Camera - No doubt you're going to be snapping like crazy with these amazing Cathedral views and need to ensure you have a good camera to do this city justice. 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. 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 (. [9] The Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, a municipal museum located in the Foundation's buildings, displays original works of art from the cathedral, such as sculptures and stained-glass, but also the surviving original medieval buildings plans. This clock functioned until 1788, and can be seen today in the Strasbourg Museum of Decorative Arts. These include an old bell made by Jean Rosier and Cesar Bonbon (1691). 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. 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. [48] The bishopric of Strasbourg had been elevated to the rank of archbishopric a few months before, in June 1988. They were eventually returned and installed, along with numerous other works of art, by the specially created Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section of the United States military. [26][27][28], The octagonal north tower was the combined work of architects Ulrich Ensingen (shaft) and Johannes Hltz of Cologne (top). Emperior Charles V visits the cathedral in 1552. Cathdrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg or Strasbourg Cathedral is the 6th tallest church in the world, built entirely in the medieval period. Select from premium Strasbourg Strasbourg Cathedral of the highest quality. Strasbourg Cathedral is the oldest Gothic cathedral in the world and one of the must-sees when visiting Strasbourg. This project was completed in 1926, after the end of the war. Among the paintings, those worthy of mention are the "Assumption of the Virgin" and "Ascension of Christ", by Joseph Heim (1787-1865). [35] Fragments can be seen in the Muse de luvre Notre-Dame. The columns are lavishly decorated with sculpted foliage. [83] The present clock was built by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgu between 1837 and 1842.[83]. The known dimensions of the building are as follows:[87]. [79], The Romanesque north transept has four traverses, which were the first in the cathedral to receive Gothic rib vaults. The rose windows of the west transept facade were made between 1230 and 1235, Above the rose are smaller round oculi from the same period, depicting Biblical symbols; the Alpha and Omega, the Candelabra of the Ancient Alliance, and others which combine floral and geometric designs. [84], Canon Conrad de Bussnang praying to Virgin and Child. 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. Kids Encyclopedia Facts. [21] From 1341 until 1372 (or according to other sources: 13391371), the post of chief architect was held by a Master Gerlach (not to be confused with Erwin's other son, Gerlach von Steinbach, architect of the Niederhaslach Church),[22] who has been identified as Erwin's grandson Johannes Gerlach von Steinbach. [36], A series of major reconstructions and restorations were carried out in the second of the century Gustave Klotz[fr] from 1837 to 1888. The belltower is 142 m high. Strasbourg Cathedralor the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg(French: Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or Cathdrale de Strasbourg, German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburgor Straburger Mnster), also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a cathedral. The tracery and decoration of the interior are very much like of that exterior, with blind galleries and delicate parallel vertical lines, like the strings of a harp. It weighs 7.5 tons and 2.2 meters in diameter, and was cast in 1447 by Hans Gremp. (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. The sculptor Jacques Zimmer added the heads of cherubs made of bronze. Strasbourg Cathedral is a beautiful Gothic cathedral in the city of Strasbourg, France. There are three stairways down to the crypt, the oldest, from the apse, dates to about 1150. All the parts of the clock together are 18m (59ft) high. It was constructed beginning in about 1330, following the rebuilding of the transept. The original Romanesque crypt was kept and expanded westwards. [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. 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. The construction of this church is a mixture of Roman and Gothic architecture. The grand organ, located high on the wall of the north side of the nave, is recorded as existing in 1260.