Many ancient cities in Germany are famous for their numerous sights and rich and interesting history. Among them, Cologne occupies a special place. It is here on the top of the hill, which is called the Cathedral, almost at the railway station rises the magnificent Cathedral, built in the Gothic style in honor of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Apostle Peter.
The monumental Cologne Cathedral is not inferior in grandeur to the famous masterpieces of medieval architecture, such as Seville and Milan Cathedrals in Italy, as well as St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. For some time the grandiose temple in Cologne was the highest in the world, but over time it moved to an honorable third place. But this is not the only advantage and the reason why thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see the Cologne Cathedral with their own eyes. Many priceless relics are collected here.
Tourists are interested in everything: the history of Cologne Cathedral,architectural features, interior design.
A bit of history
The place for the construction of this temple was not chosen by chance. Historians know an interesting fact about the Cologne Cathedral: already at the beginning of the 1st century there was a temple dedicated to the Roman gods. Since the 4th century, the construction of Christian churches began on this territory, which eventually dilapidated and collapsed or were destroyed in fires. In the middle of the 13th century, when the holy relics of the three Magi were transferred from Milan to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald von Dassel, it was decided to build a church that would surpass in size and luxury everything that had been built earlier.
In August 1248, the foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral was laid. At first, work progressed very quickly, but soon they practically stopped, and only by 1560 was the foundation of the structure built. The active construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1824. According to the plans and drawings found in the archives, during this period the famous towers were completed and the facades were decorated.
For this, many sculptural compositions on biblical themes were made, gates for portals were cast from bronze, hundreds of square meters of stunning stained-glass windows of Cologne Cathedral were assembled. Construction work, which lasted 632 years, was completed in 1880. The harmonious combination in the appearance of the temple of elements of medieval architecture and neo-Gothic, which was characteristic of the 19th century, turned the Cologne Cathedral into one of the greatest monuments of history and architecture of the country.
In the years of the SecondWorld War II, the cathedral was practically not damaged, with the exception of a few stained-glass windows knocked out from the south side. The restoration was completed in 1956, but only in 2007 were the stained-glass windows of the temple restored. For this, more than 11,500 multi-colored glass fragments were needed. In 1996, the cathedral was included in the UNESCO heritage lists.
Architecture of Cologne Cathedral
This building is famous throughout the world for its grandeur and scale. The towers of the cathedral are directed up to 157 meters, and the height of the building exceeds 60 meters. These towers are clearly visible from anywhere in the city, and in the evening the facade is illuminated with greenish lamps, and the cathedral looks simply amazing.
But the temple is not only famous for its height: the building is so majestic and monumental that it simply boggles the imagination. The length of the architectural structure is 144 meters, and the total area is 8.5 thousand square meters. The composition of many through lattices, phials, supporting pilasters goes well with other decorations - carvings, sculptural plasticity and a characteristic height difference. The shade of gray Rhine stone maintains the gothic style of the cathedral.
Interior decoration
Visitors are simply mesmerized by the interior design of the cathedral in Cologne. Its main hall is surrounded by galleries, carved columns, figures of saints, small chapels, the walls and floor are lined with unique gilded mosaics. The main value of the temple is the golden tomb, in which the remains of the Magi are buried. Also there is the Milan Madonna, and a two-meteroak cross Hero.
Altar
The main altar of the cathedral was made by skilled craftsmen from a monolith of marble, and the side walls are made in the form of an arcade. In its niches are statues of the twelve apostles.
Tomb of the Magi
A particularly valuable relic of the Cologne Cathedral is the tomb with the relics of the Magi, who brought the news of the birth of Christ to the world. It is located next to the altar. The tomb is three sarcophagi made of wood and lined with gold plates. The sarcophagus is inlaid and decorated with exquisite chasing and carving. More than a thousand antique gems and precious stones were used to decorate this relic.
Milan Madonna
This is another priceless relic of the temple. In 1290, this statue was made to replace the miraculous image that burned down in a fire. It was made by the same craftsmen who created the sculptures of the apostles that adorn the interior pilasters of the temple.
Oak Cross
And this relic causes sacred awe among parishioners and guests of the city. It was donated to the old cathedral by Archbishop Gero. This amazing two-meter creation surprisingly accurately depicts the crucified Christ. The uniqueness of this cross also lies in the fact that it has survived to our time in its original form.
Stained Glass
The world-famous stained-glass windows of the Cologne Cathedral can be attributed simultaneously to the architectural features and values of the temple. They depict saints, biblical scenes,kings.
Cathedral cellars
Many temple treasures are stored in illuminated display cases in the basement. Among them are attributes of the power of the city's archbishops - a rod and a sword, ceremonial crosses and monstrances.
Those who wish can see numerous samples of ancient writing carved on stone slabs, a collection of amazing church clothes made of precious brocade. There are also several sculptures that used to decorate one of the portals, and artifacts from the burial of the Merovingian dynasty, which date back to 540 AD. e.
Observation deck
No description of Cologne Cathedral will evoke such emotions as visiting the observation deck of the temple. It is located almost at a height of one hundred meters and allows you to appreciate the grandeur of the structure. Not all visitors can make this climb, because more than 500 wide and steep steps lead to the site.
After visiting the cathedral, many tourists walk around the square located near the temple. This is a lively and popular place in the city. Here you can see performances of mimes, listen to street musicians and just have a cup of aromatic coffee in one of the tiny cozy cafes.
Cathedral today
Today it is a functioning church where services are held. In addition, the building is also a museum where visitors can get acquainted with a huge collection of paintings, sculptures, and jewelry.
Legend of Cologne Cathedral
This legend has severalinterpretations. Someone firmly believes in the veracity of this story, someone is skeptical about it.
While developing the design of the cathedral, the architect Rile could not decide which drawings and sketches to give preference to. The famous master was so burdened by this choice that he decided to ask for help from Satan. The devil immediately responded to the request and offered the architect a deal: he would receive drawings that would make the cathedral one of the greatest creations in the world, and in return the master would give his soul to the devil. The decision had to be made with the crow of the first roosters. Gerhard promised to think, anticipation of worldwide fame inclined him to make a positive decision.
Willingly or involuntarily, the master's wife overheard the conversation with the devil. And she decided to try to save the soul of her husband. She hid in a secluded place and, after the devil handed over the drawings, crowed like a rooster. Only later did Satan realize that the deal had failed. The artistic version of this story was outlined in the poem "Cologne Cathedral" by P. A. Kuskov.
The legend continues. As the townspeople say, Satan was so angered by the cunning of the architect's wife that he cursed the temple and said that the last stone laid in the cathedral building would be the beginning of the world apocalypse. True, according to some versions, the curse concerned only Cologne. Maybe that's why the famous German temple is constantly being expanded and completed.
Cologne Cathedral opening hours
The opening hours of the temple depend on the season. From November to April it can be visited every day from 6:00 to 19:30. From May to October - from 6:00until 21:00. The treasury of the cathedral awaits guests every day from 10:00 to 18:00. The towers of the Cologne Cathedral are open in winter from 9:00 to 16:00. In spring and summer - from 9:00 to 17:00. Entrance to the temple is free, visiting the tower will cost you three euros, and the treasury - five euros.
