Located close to the River Rhine, the cathedral is famous for its architectural statues , steep gables, blind tracery and unifying series of spires, as well as its rare works of religious art , such as the sumptuous Shrine of the Three Kings , the Gero Cross - the oldest major carving of Christ crucified north of the Alps - and the Mailander Madonna Architecturally, the cathedral exemplifies the Rayonnant Gothic style although its design also includes some elements of extra-decorative Flamboyant Gothic architecture.
See also: German Gothic Art Christian buildings have stood on the site since the 4th century, for more, see Roman Architecture and Early Christian Art , including a square cathedral built by Maternus, the first Christian bishop of Cologne.
See Carolingian Art. A second cathedral was completed in This Ottonian Basilica was gutted by fire in , while new building works were underway in preparation for a new cathedral. See also: Ottonian Art : The relics possessed great religious significance and attracted believers from all over Christendom. As a result, church authorities determined that they required a fitting home - hence the decision nearly 90 years later to build a new cathedral in the fashionable Gothic style , modelled on the French cathedral of Amiens.
It seems quite probable that the patron, Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden, a supporter of Louis IX's anti-Swabian policies, wanted the building to reflect the formal elegance of the structures going up in Paris at the time, such as Sainte Chapelle The cornerstone was duly laid in August , by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden and construction proceeded under the direction of architect Master Gerhard and later Master Michael.
Although consecrated in work on the West facade halted in - during the highpoint of the celebrated Cologne School of painting - leaving the south tower complete up to belfry level. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. Perfectionism, disinterest, extensions: There are many reasons why some buildings take longer than planned to get completed - sometimes even centuries.
Here are five impressive examples. English kings and queens have been crowned here since the rule of William the Conqueror The history of the building itself goes back way further. In the seventh century, it was the location of a church called "West Minster. The last extension, the two main towers, was completed in - exactly years later. It is not only the symbol of Milan, but also the most important work of Gothic architecture in Italy: the Cathedral-Basilica of Santa Maria Nascente, better known as the Milan Cathedral.
Its foundations were laid in Many architects continued its construction before it was completed in Altogether, the project took years. The Cologne Cathedral is a church of superlatives. When it was completed in , it was the tallest building in the world. It was also the largest steel structure of its time, and had the largest free-swinging bell. The cathedral boasts the oldest depiction of a crucified Jesus and the largest choir in Germany. Even its lengthy construction is record-breaking: years.
Nowadays the main factors affecting the Cathedral are weather and environmental influences. Over 80 stonemasons, glaziers, roofers and other specialists are constantly at work on the maintenance and restoration of the Cathedral building.
The stone mass seems to rise, almost weightlessly, up to the 43m-high baldachin-style arches. The narrow main nave that leads to the chancel is accompanied by two side naves. In , a totally new lighting concept was created in the south cross nave of the Cathedral. The light, plain glass window that had replaced a window destroyed during the Second World War was removed.
Gerhard Richter, an artist living in Cologne, created a new work of art out of endless coloured squares covering the m2 area, which is in tune with the visions of the master builders from the Middle Ages. The crossing features the modern bronze altar by Elmar Hillebrand Behind this lies the high chancel with the choir ambulatory — one of the finest sanctuaries in the Western world.
The choir stalls have seats making them the largest in Germany. The chancel paintings were added in around Above these, you will see the older chancel pillar sculptures of Jesus, Mary and the 12 Apostles.
In addition to the Adoration of the Magi, the entire circle of glass windows in the upper floor of the central nave depicts a further 48 royal figures. This impressive work of medieval gold craftsmanship surpasses all other shrines in the Western world in terms of size and grandeur. In the course of the 19th century, architects as well as artists re-discovered their interest in designs and constructions of the middle ages.
In addition, around the medieval Romantics drew public attention to the unfinished cathedral, which also became a symbol of German unity in the growing national movement. However, this has also been criticised by many: The Catholics feared a loss of sacred versus national importance of the cathedral. The Protestants took the view that its completion was a waste of money, since Catholics were not enthusiastic about the whole German cause.
When the construction plans for the cathedral were discovered, it was decided to complete the building. This was a huge project, costing about 1 billion USD which was achieved by private funds and governmental support. Luckily, the old plans were well preserved and could be mainly completed.
The unfinished cathedral around , after Max Hasak: Cologne Cathedral , Unfortunately the church faced several damages during World War II and had to be repaired. Luckily the completion of the building in the 19th century took place with the old design plans but were realized with newer and more stable techniques that were established in between the years.
The interior is characterized by its many treasures, like the High Altar which has been installed in and is made of black marble. The Shrine of Three Kings is presumably the most famous installation and was created by Nicholas of Verdun. The nave of Cologne Cathedral, with a length of about meters, was built in the course of seven centuries in five construction epochs.
Nevertheless, it has a strictly uniform, High Gothic form, the original plan of which apparently appeared so complete that all later master builders liked to stick to it. The entire architecture of the Cologne Cathedral is designed to accommodate the largest possible windows.
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