The beautiful Speyer Cathedral belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is almost the only representative of the old Romanesque style in architecture in Europe. For tourists it is the Cathedral in the city of Speyer, for locals it is simply a House. Even now, many centuries later, it is the hallmark of the city and attracts the attention of anyone who passes through the city gates.
The history of the cathedral begins in the XI century, when in 1030 the construction of the Cathedral was begun by the Kaiser of Germany Konrad II. The construction was completed already under his grandson – in 1060 the cathedral was consecrated and he opened his heavy stone eyelids, surveying the flock of believers at his foot. For 10 centuries of existence, the “House” has changed little, although it has been subjected to repeated barbaric attacks.So, in the XVII century it was destroyed by the French troops of King Louis the 14th, who was outraged by the fact that under the arches of the cathedral there is a tomb of German rulers and their spouse.
To get to the remains and desecrate them, it was necessary to work thoroughly with battering rams. The Speyer Cathedral underwent partial restoration, but already in the XVIII century it was again subjected to a mass attack by the same French armies. Later, in the 50s of the XIX century, the cathedral was completely restored and appeared before the eyes of the crowd in its original form. As if his body had not collapsed twice already, as if 8 long centuries had not been lived. Despite the fact that now the basilica is dedicated exclusively to the service of mass and organ concerts, the construction of the cathedral had political overtones.
No more than five hundred people lived in Speyer in the XI century. And the Speyer Cathedral became the largest building in all of Europe, which meant Conrad’s political and military might. In the XIX century, an organ appeared in the cathedral, the sound of which has since filled the distant vaults, going more than 30 meters up. One of the most famous organists in Germany, Leo Kremer and Ludwig Derr, gave concerts here.
The length of the cathedral is 134 meters. The height of the towers is 71 meters. The archaic building made of copper-red stone impresses with the rigor of its forms and its dimensions.
The interior decoration cannot be called “modest”, despite the minimum of decorations and frescoes (only a few banners). Speyer Cathedral both suppresses and exalts at the same time, as site https://modernsmilesdesign.com/.
Bare arches, vaults and small lancet windows that illuminate the entire space with a quiet, solemn light.And, of course, the main thing: the music that comes as if from heaven is pure and simple – it does not change with time, like any mass or liturgy.
