The church features a Romanesque architectural style and was inscribed in 1981. The word Romanesque means Roman-style, and was in direct contrast to the Gothic style which was favored in other cities. The technical structure of the wall is visible in form, which has an inner and outer crust, and a core of concrete or mortar. Speyer Cathedral exerted a considerable influence not only on the development of Romanesque architecture in the 11th and 12th centuries, but also on the evolution of the principles of restoration in Germany, in Europe, and in the world from the 18th century to the present. 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. Some of the contents, e. g. clothing, can be seen at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate near the cathedral. The monumental crypt of Speyer Cathedral, consecrated in 1041, is the largest Romanesque columned hall crypt in Europe, with an area of 850m2 (9,149sqft) and a height of approx. The Cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years. Today after the destruction of the Abbey of Cluny Speyer Cathedral is the biggest Romanesque church in the world. Speyer Cathedral is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Radding, Charles M. and Clark, William W.: Medieval Architecture, Medieval Learning: Builders and Masters in the Age of Romanesque and Gothic, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1992, List of regional characteristics of Romanesque churches, History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes, "Romanesque architecture and art | Infoplease", "Romanesque Architecture And Art | Encyclopedia.com", "Der Kaiserdom zu Speyer Zahlen, Namen, Fakten fr besonders Eilige", "Endlich wieder "Ischa Freimaak!" 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. Speyer Cathedral was founded by Konrad II in 1030, probably soon after his imperial coronation. In the apse of the transept is a architecture edculos a renaissance. Despite its Romanesque origins, there are many additions to the cathedral which have changed its original design, including 18th and 19th-century extensions to the facade and towers. Both show polygonal towers at the corners. Renovations have cleaned the interior stone to such a degree that it almost looks new, despite some of it being almost 1,000 years old. Thus, Speyer Cathedral is also seen as a symbol of the Investiture Controversy. Due to its great splendour, it was used more as a palace than as a fortress. The interior of the Speyer Cathedral features one of the tallest naves from the Romanesque Age. Spira is a leading industrial center and railway junction and its activity is based on the manufacture of machinery, chemicals, food and textiles. When a new bishop was installed, the bowl was filled with wine and everyone in the city could drink freely. Emperors and bishops processed along the city's expansive boulevard. Henry IV had the chapel built in her honour because he was born on her commemoration day. Become a member to get ad-free access to our website and our articles. The system of arcades added during these renovations was also a first in architectural history. The Speyer Cathedral is an Episcopal church, a parish church and a pilgrimage destination. We'll never share your email with anyone else. Es uno de los monumentos romnicos ms importantes del Sacro Imperio Romano Germnico. Today - after the destruction of the Abbey of Cluny - Speyer Cathedral is the biggest Romanesque church in the world. Yet, by the start of the 20th century, the mood had changed. The restored coffins were relocated into a newly constructed crypt open to the public under the main altar in 1906. This crypt is also the largest Romanesque columned hall in any church in Europe. 1854 to 1858, Ludwig's successor, King Maximilian II, had the Baroque westwork replaced by a Neo-Romanesque one, with the two tall towers and the octagonal dome resembling those that were lost, thus restoring the cathedral's overall Romanesque appearance. Dom zu Speyer On 24 September 1861, the then Prince of Wales of United Kingdom, Prince Albert Edward, who would later become King Edward VII, first met his Danish born wife, Princess Alexandra later Queen Alexandra at the Speyer Cathedral. The columns are built with cylindrical blocks are robust and powerful, and contain cubic bases and capitals, forming a solid note. On the walls introduces a robust pace of salient elements that reflect light and space in the sequence of corridors established by the vaults. All rights reserved. . Speyer Cathedral is the first known structure to be built with a gallery that encircles the whole building. - - II 1030 . XI . . 5,424 3,633 pixel. This plan is characterized by the equilibrium of the eastern and western blocks and by the symmetrical and singular placement of the towers which frame the mass formed by the nave and the transept. Speyer Cathedral - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Along with Santiago de Compostela (begun 1075), Cluny Abbey (Cluny III, begun 1085), and Durham Cathedral (begun 1093), it was the most ambitious project of the time. Alternatively, the stone could be split along the laminations or bedding planes with a suitable hammer and chisel. style/period. Speyer Cathedral | For UNESCO World Heritage Travellers In designing the faade of the westwork, Heinrich Hbsch, an architect of early Historicism, created a Neo Romanesque design which drew on features of the original westwork and those of several other Romanesque buildings, scaling the windows differently and introducing a gable on the facade, a row of statues over the main portal and polychrome stonework in sandstone yellow and rust. full/alternative names. The Cathedral incorporates the general layout of St Michael of Hildesheim and brings to perfection a type of plan that was adopted generally throughout the Rhineland. No less than eight medieval emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from Konrad II to Albrecht of Habsburg in 1309 were laid to rest in its vault. Het is een van de belangrijkste Romaanse monumenten uit de tijd van het Heilige Roomse rijk. Spira is a leading industrial center and railway junction and its activity is based on the manufacture of machinery, chemicals, food and textiles. Please try again. The interior of the cathedral is shockingly bare with most of the original artwork and paintings were gone. "[4], The expanded cathedral, Speyer II, was completed in 1106, the year of Henry's IV death. The building became a political issue: the enlargement of the cathedral in the small village of Speyer with only around . The design was common in Romanesque era buildings of the medieval era, particularly in Germany and Italy. 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. German. On the northern and southern sides of this central room beneath the transepts, separated by mighty pillars, you will find rooms with the same measurements. Speyer Cathedral - UNESCO World Heritage Architects are often concerned with elements of structure and their relationship to the spaces they create. When relations were strained, the popes refused to crown the king as emperor. One of the most famous organists in Germany, Leo Kremer and Ludwig Derr, gave concerts here. The westwork, replacing the mediaeval structure and the addition of the late 18th century, is an addition of the period of 1854 to 1858. Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in todays complex world, where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development, unsustainable tourism practices, neglect, natural calamities, pollution, political instability, and conflict. This nucleus is removed to roofs, remaining spaces in the interior which are in turn structured in the form of two chapels and two bays apsidioles that open toward the center of the church by carrying bows geminados on a column Mainel. 1211), Medieval Krakow and its Churches: Structure and Meanings, The Mystery of the Octagon: Aachen Cathedral, A Town of Beauty and Passion : Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments. The building became a political issue: the enlargement of the cathedral in the small village of Speyer with only around 500 inhabitants was a blunt provocation for the papacy. Such blind arcades were used extensively as decorations, lining internal and external walls of many Romanesque churches. ", "Romanesque Art and Architecture ninemsn Encarta", Speyer Cathedral / UNESCO Official Website, Rhineland-Palatinate website for Speyer Cathedral (German), Scan of the chapter on early christianity in Speyer, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Speyer_Cathedral&oldid=1151221727, The Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, Stages of construction and reconstruction, Total length: 134 m (from the steps at the entrance to the exterior wall of the east apse), External width of the nave (with aisles): 37.62 m (from exterior wall to exterior wall), Height of the nave at the vertex of the vaults: 33 m, Crypt Length: east-west 35 m; north-south 46 m Height: between 6.2 m and 6.5 m, Features of Speyer Cathedral and its surroundings. Begun in 1030 under Conrad II, with the east end and high vault of 10901103, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica of red sandstone is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". Their ruins were already removed in the 18th century.[24]. In the heat of the fire the western part of the nave collapsed and the late Gothic elements were destroyed.[11]. Durante tres siglos aos fue el lugar de sepultura de los emperadores alemanes. "[26](see detail below). The major elements within the combination remain independent. Speyer became a model for many other church buildings but was unsurpassed in its magnificence. Architectural Life - theory and practice of architecture Architectural Life . Here are some of the dimensions of Speyer Cathedral: Length: 134 meters (439.63 feet) Width: 37.62 meters (123.42 feet) Nave width: 14 meters (45.93 feet) Nave height: 33 meters (108.26 feet) Height (western towers): 65.6 meters (215.22 feet) Height (eastern towers): 71.2 meters (233.59 feet) 9. The graves of the emperors and kings were originally placed in the central aisle in front of the altar. The Cathedral is permanently maintained by the Cathedral Construction Administration. This makes the cathedral one of the best-preserved feats of Romanesque architecture. 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. The expansion phase of Henry IV only preserved the lower floors and the crypt of the original cathedral. In the course of the centuries knowledge of the exact location was lost. But on 31 May 1689 the soldiers broke in, pillaged the imperial graves and set everything alight. He is a 3x Lowell Thomas Award winner and a 3x North American Travel Photographer of the Year. The western end terminates in an elaborate structure known as a "Westwerk" including the main portal, a feature typical of many Romanesque churches. Magnificent Coca Castle was built in the 15th century by Alonso de Fonseca, a mighty archbishop of Seville, during the reign of King Enrique IV of Castile. The cathedral was built by the Emperor to show his power, which is why it is also known as the Kaiser Dome and a large statue of Conrad II was placed in the entrance hall. The arcade has piers of a simple form, each with a wide attached shaft, the alternate shafts carrying a stone arch of the high vault. Only the lower floors and the crypt of Speyer I remained intact. That used to mark the boundary line between the churchs property and the city. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Protections by other conservation instruments, Speyer Cathedral (Germany) In 1792 Speyer was again occupied, this time by French revolutionary troops, and once more the cathedral was pillaged. It is considered to be the most stunning outcome of early Salian architecture and the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. Conrad II, the Holy Roman Emperor at the time, decided to construct a large cathedral with 4 towers in the town. The cathedral was abandoned for 10 years, and it was only 80 years later that the West Wing was rebuilt. The original building was made with wooden roofs, and its reconstruction is replaced by stone vaults of edges; foreclosing highest space; raising. . The reconstruction of the west bays of the nave from 1772 to 1778, as an almost archaeologically exact copy of the original structure, can be regarded as one of the first great achievements of monument preservation in Europe.

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