Germany

Church of St. Gereon

The Church of St. Gereon today is an active Catholic church, the walls of which have a monument to St. Gereon, a Roman warrior who fought and died for the Christian faith.

St. Gereon Church - Cologne's oldest religious building ^ photo Christine

Church of St. Gereon (St. Gereon Kirche) - the oldest temple in Cologne. The Romanesque basilica replaced the early Christian sanctuary erected on the site of the death of a Roman warrior who served in the Thebes legion. The holy martyr Gereon of Cologne fell for faith in 318.

Construction history

The historical monument combines elements of ancient, Romanesque and early Gothic religious architecture. The oldest part of the temple has existed since 350: then a martyrium chapel appeared on the territory of the ancient necropolis, resembling the temple of Minerva with its appearance. The walls of the main nave of the basilica to the level of 16 meters are preserved from the Late Antiquity. In the 11th century, a presbytery was added to the ancient oval base; in the XIII century, decagon-shaped walls were erected around the old part, crowning them with a 35-meter faceted dome.

Over the years the temple existed, it was completed several times. The Second World War did not pass by a masterpiece of architecture: it was damaged, although not destroyed to the ground by air bombs, like other religious buildings in Cologne. Reconstruction lasted more than 40 years. Now the church is completely restored, serves the needs of the parish of St. Hero and the pilgrimage center. Within its walls are services and cultural events.

Church architecture

East facade
Western facade
Church of St. Gereon
Saint Gereon

The appearance of the temple has been preserved since the 14th century. On the west side is the main decagon building. Small polyhedral towers with conical domes are attached to it. From the side of the eastern facade, rectangular 30-meter twin towers erected in the XII century rise. Between them is a semicircular apse with dull arcades: a choir is placed in it. The crypt of the church was built in the XI century; baptistery with an octagonal font - in the 13th century. The sacristy was built in 1315.

Interior decoration

Altar
Main nave
Dome
Altar
Church interior
Decagon interior
Pieta

The interior of the church is decorated with plot murals of the late Roman period; preserved mosaics in the Ravenna style, a statue of the Madonna of the 15th century, marble Pieta of the 19th century by Johan Rice. In the arched windows of the domed space there are stained-glass windows created by the master G. Meisterman.

In a niche at the western portal is a fragment of a marble pillar. According to legend, the martyr Gereon and his companions were executed near this Roman column.

How to get there

Go to the Christophstr./Mediapark stop by bus 12.15.

How do I save on hotels?

Everything is very simple - look not only at the booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts at the same time on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

Watch the video: St. Gereon's Church, Cologne (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Germany, Next Article

In Italy, developed a real artificial arm
Society

In Italy, developed a real artificial arm

In Italy, the world's first "sensitive" artificial arm was developed: it returns tactile sensations to patients with amputations. Successfully completed the final testing of the LifeHand2 project, in the forefront of which the leading research centers of the country took part. The new prosthesis is able to transmit tactile sensations to the brain and in the same way to control the compression force based on the received commands.
Read More
Ornella Muti missed a concert for dinner with Putin
Society

Ornella Muti missed a concert for dinner with Putin

The famous actress pretended to be sick and asked to postpone the concert without any sanctions in her direction. However, that evening she was photographed at the same table with the Russian president. Now Ornella is facing a trial. The official reason for the cancellation of the speech was the "severe hoarseness" of the actress.
Read More
Pope Francis calls on Italian government to find homes for all families
Society

Pope Francis calls on Italian government to find homes for all families

Pope Francis called on the Italian government to find homes for all families Speaking to the congregation in the main square of the Vatican, among whom there were protesters against the Italians, Pope Francis called on the Italian authorities to provide shelter to all those in need. The protesters pope tried to express his opinion and achieve goals peacefully, without using any violence.
Read More
The Italian will perform at the competition "Mr. Gay Universe"
Society

The Italian will perform at the competition "Mr. Gay Universe"

The 26-year-old Alessio Cuvello will be the first Italian to take part in the Mr. Gay Universe contest to be held in Paris from May 11-17. The young man already has a child from marriage with his ex-wife. Among the awards Alessio title "Mr. Gay Italy 2012". In 2012, 26-year-old Alessio Cuvello (born in Palermo but permanently resident in Milan) received the title “Mr. Gay Italy”.
Read More