Strasbourg Cathedral in France: review, description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Goethe called it "the lofty tree of God", and Victor Hugo - "a gigantic graceful miracle". All these poetic epithets describe the cathedral in Strasbourg, a French city bordering Germany. For two centuries this building was the tallest in the world. The spire of the cathedral can be seen far beyond Strasbourg. Its silhouette against the reddening pre-sunset sky is the hallmark of the city. The spire is visible even from the other side of the Rhine, along which the modern border runs. Therefore, the Strasbourg Cathedral in Germany is considered almost their own (taking into account the history of Alsace and Lorraine). This church is both majestic and elegant. Even in the twenty-first century, the era of skyscrapers, Strasbourg's Notre Dame is the sixth tallest temple in the world. And it also holds the lead as the largest building made of such a short-lived stone as sandstone. Let's take a virtual tour of this unique gothic temple.

How to get to Strasbourg Cathedral

Finding this structure is not difficult - the 142-meter tower is visible from afar. But the center of Strasbourg was built on an island surrounded by the river Ile. Dense half-timbered buildings with overhanging balconies along narrow medieval streets block the view. There are so many interesting sights around that it is just right to forget where you intended to come. Strasbourg Cathedral suddenly appears in all its glory in the narrow opening of Rue Mercier. You can get to it by crossing the bridge along the Vieux March Aux Poisson (near the Historical Museum). From this position, take a picture of him. If you get closer, you can capture only fragments of the facades, but not the whole handsome giant. By the way, on the right side of the Mercier street there is an old half-timbered house of Kammerzell (XV century), decorated with wooden sculptures - now there is a large souvenir shop.

Strasbourg Cathedral: History

Modern Alsace was once part of the vast Roman Empire. Therefore, it is not surprising that a pagan temple stood in the very center of the Gallic settlement of Argentoratum. Much later, Strasbourg got its modern name from two German words: "strasse" - a road and "burg" - a castle or a fortified city. When Christianity became the dominant religion, the pagan temple was destroyed and a church was built in its place. Around the year 1000, the population of the "City on the Roads" increased so much that a need arose for a cathedral. The first stone was laid by the bishopWerner of Habsburg in 1015. Naturally, in terms of planning, it was a typical Romanesque cathedral. A fire in 1176 destroyed the wooden roof and the upper floors. Therefore, it was decided to build a cathedral of stone. It was brought from the nearest mountains - the Vosges. This sandstone has the amazing property of glowing pink at sunset or sunrise.

Strasbourg Cathedral (France) and episcopal vanity

In the thirteenth century, gothic was in vogue. The cities of Western Europe competed among themselves who would build the highest, largest and most beautiful House of God. The bishop of Strasbourg was haunted by the laurels of his Basel, Ulm and Cologne colleagues. Therefore, he spared no expense to hire the most fashionable (and highly paid) architects to build his cathedral. Of course, he did not wait for the end of the work and did not see the majestic creation. After the death of the bishop, the construction was paid for by the municipality - consuls and ordinary citizens. And so it happened that the eastern and southern portals, as well as the choir, were made in the Romanesque style, and the western part with the northern tower was in the Gothic style. By the way, the plan provided for the construction of its one, southern, spire. But the city simply did not have enough time for it. The asymmetrical design also makes it unique. And the 142-meter north tower was completed only in 1439.

West facade

Let's not rush to go inside. An invariable ritual of all tourists is a leisurely and thoughtful tour of the majestic building. Strasbourg Cathedral in Francefamous for its western façade. This is a real masterpiece of high gothic. One of the architects was Erwin von Steinbach. He in 1284 designed the western façade, with a thousand sculptures and an elegant rosette window. When there was not enough money for the construction, the architect sold his horse and donated the required amount. In the fourteenth century, Ulrich von Ensingen, the creator of the cathedral in Ulm, became the main architect. And the famous North Tower was completed by Johann Hultz, a master from Cologne. Thousands of stone sculptures and ornaments that adorn the western facade of the Strasbourg Cathedral are included in all textbooks on medieval Gothic. Wonderful stained glass windows are best viewed from the inside. They were taken away by the Nazis during the last World War, but later the German government returned them along with stolen tapestries and paintings.

South traverse facade

Strasbourg Cathedral is worth going around in its entirety. It is not only the tall spire and the western facade richly decorated with sculptures that attract attention. The southern traverse with the entrance is also very interesting. It is decorated with the no less famous sculptural group "Church and Synagogue". During the crusade against the Albigensians, this story was rethought as the struggle of the Roman Papacy with dissident Christian beliefs. The gargoyles, which serve as rain gutters, seem to say: "There is no Salvation outside the Catholic Church." In the Gothic facade on the triple portal of the main entrance, we see the scene of the adoration of the Magi. There are sculptures of the prophets of the Old Testament and the martyrs of the New. Allegorical figures depict Sins andVirtues.

Interior highlights

And now let's go inside the cathedral, especially since the entrance to it is free. The Strasbourg Cathedral continues to perform its functions as a functioning temple, therefore, during the services, the entrance to it is limited for tourists. Inside the church is decorated no less luxuriously than outside. It's good to come here on a sunny day - then the stained-glass windows look especially impressive. What not to miss in Strasbourg Cathedral? This is a baptismal font created in the middle of the fifteenth century by the sculptor Dotzinger. Tapestries, paintings on religious subjects, an old organ attract attention. The pulpit is very beautiful, decorated with numerous statues belonging to the chisel of Hans Hammer. You also need to look into the St. Lawrence limit and see the painting by Nicolas Raeder (in the north transept).

Tower

Be sure to climb the spire that crowns the Strasbourg Cathedral. Strasbourg from the observation deck - at a glance. In addition, you can see some sculptures and gargoyles up close. If it will be difficult to climb a narrow spiral staircase, remember: Stendhal and Goethe overcame these steps. And the latter did it every day while he studied at the University of Strasbourg. So he was cured of a phobia of heights. This spire until the eighteenth century (until the Cologne Cathedral was completed) remained the highest structure. It is noteworthy that during the French Revolution they wanted to destroy the bell tower. Say, she leveled the principle of equality. But the locals decorated herPhrygian cap (a symbol of freedom), and the ideological intensity of the revolutionaries was removed. Entrance to the tower is paid: 4.5 euros for an adult and 2.5 for children and students.

Astronomical clock

If you buy a ticket for the North Tower, you can visit the choirs that go along the upper tier of the entire cathedral. This will give you a unique opportunity to take a closer look at the stained glass windows and beautiful Gothic rosettes. But in the temple there is another paid attraction for tourists. This is the astronomical clock of the Strasbourg Cathedral. The third chronometer was improved and installed in 1832. Before him, clocks with astronomical functions had faithfully served the city since 1574. The first chronometer has been mentioned since 1353. What is interesting about the Strasbourg Cathedral clock? The complex mechanism shows the orbits of the Earth and the Moon, as well as all the planets known at that time. In addition, on New Year's Eve, the clock makes a full turn and shows the dates on which the "floating" Catholic holidays (Easter, Ascension, Pentecost) fall. The gear of the mechanism, which rotates the slowest, is responsible for determining the precession of the earth's axis. It will make a complete revolution (if, of course, the chronometer survives) in twenty-five thousand eight hundred years.

Events

Strasbourg Cathedral has always played a key role in the life of the city. Not only are liturgies held here. On Sunday mornings, you can listen to the Gregorian Chapel in the cathedral. Very often, organ concerts are held here, in which an old, richly decorated instrument is involved. It is especially good to come to Strasbourg in summer. Firstly, the weather is conducive to walking and sailing along the canals on boats. In the cold season, they also ply, but their top is glazed. As a bonus, summer tourists are given the opportunity to see a beautiful sight. Various concerts are held every evening on the square in front of the cathedral. Many spotlights illuminate the walls of the majestic building in time with the music, making the statues on the facades seem to come to life.

City and its attractions

Strasbourg Cathedral is a kind of dominant. But the tourist attractions of the city are not limited to it. Of course, it is necessary to start acquaintance with Strasbourg from its cathedral. The reviews of tourists are especially recommended not to be too lazy and climb the tower. This will give you a visual representation of the location of the city, which means that it will be possible to make a route for further excursions. It is necessary to visit the Bishop's Palace, the Petite France quarter, the Alsace Museum. Do not forget that the European Court of Human Rights is also located in Strasbourg. This newest building is not located in the city center and is best reached by tram. Tourist reviews strongly recommend, regardless of the season, to ride a sightseeing boat through the channels of the Ile River with their many locks.