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

One Day Hotel in Italy
Tourism

One Day Hotel in Italy

A new trend is spreading from Rome to Milan: hotels in the morning at a low price, but with an exceptional level of service. Useful addresses to remember. Stewardesses suffering from changing time zones, workers on business trips, athletes on vacation and - why not? - couples in love seeking to enjoy noon in complete solitude.
Read More
Italians on vacation spend the most money on food
Tourism

Italians on vacation spend the most money on food

A recent study showed that Italians on vacation spend much more on food than on rental housing or on a hotel room. According to a recent report by the Italian National Confederation of Farmers of Italy Coldiretti (www.coldiretti.it), the level of spending by Italians on holiday rental housing has decreased by 22 percent since 2007, while residents of the country of wine and sun began to prefer food. than comfort, spending 30 percent more on food than seven years ago.
Read More
Knight tournaments will be held in Italy in September
Tourism

Knight tournaments will be held in Italy in September

The beautiful Italy will return again in the Middle Ages in September. Numerous jousting tournaments and festivals will be held throughout the country. Montagnana, September 5-7 All lovers of the Middle Ages are strongly recommended to go to the Italian old town of Montagnana, which is located near Padova (Padova).
Read More