Today is a big feast in Cologne. Dedicated to the saints Peter and Mary, Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. Cologne Cathedral is the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany and has been Cologne's most famous landmark for centuries. Once the tallest building in the world, Cologne Cathedral still boasts the world's largest church façade.
The cathedral's main treasure is a golden reliquary containing the remains of the Three Magi of Christmas story fame. These relics and other treasures have made Cologne Cathedral a major pilgrimage destination for centuries.The cathedral suffered 14 hits by World War II aerial bombs but did not collapse and reconstruction was completed in 1956. In the northwest tower's base, an emergency repair carried out with bad-quality brickstones taken from a nearby war ruin remained visible until the late 1990s as a reminder of the War, but then it was decided to reconstruct this section according to the original appearance. It is possible to climb a spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground.
In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites and in 2004, it was placed on the "World Heritage in Danger" list.
nside, the most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Sarcophagus of the Magi, a large gilded sarcophagus dating to around 1200. The largest reliquary in the western world, the exterior is seven feet of gilded silver and jewels. Images of Old Testament prophets line the bottom and the 12 apostles decorate the top. Inside, the reliquary holds three golden-crowned skulls believed to belong to the Three Magi.
The Gero Cross (Gero-Kreuz), near the sacristy, is the oldest surviving monumental crucifix north of the Alps. Carved in 976 in a style ahead of its time, the crucifix depicts Jesus neither suffering nor triumphant, but with his eyes closed, dead. It is both a powerful religious image and a wonderful piece of art. With the Magi reliquary and the Madonna of Milan, the Gero Cross is one of the three major pilgrim stops in the cathedral.
The Chapel of the Virgin (Marienkapelle) contains The Patron Saints of Köln, painted in 1442 by Stefan Lochner. The painting is notable for its photographic realism (note the varieties of herbs in the foreground) and believable depth.
In the Sacrament Chapel is the Madonna of Milan (Mailänder Madonna), an elegant wooden sculpture depicting Mary and the child Jesus. Made in the Cologne Cathedral workshop around 1290, this High Gothic statue is associated with miracles and has attracted pilgrims for centuries. It is probably a replacement for an even older statue, which was brought to Cologne with the relics of the Three Magi by Rainald von Dassel and destroyed in the fire of 1248.
Another important statue of the Virgin Mary, which attracts the most attention from today's pilgrims and worshippers, is the miracle-working Jeweled Madonna in the north transept. Only the heads of the Virgin and Child can be seen; the remainder of the statue is dressed in a gown of white silk (last renewed in 1991) pinned with jewels and other ex-votos. The sculpture is Baroque and dates from the late 17th century.
South side
Breathtaking Gothic-looking east!
An evening service in the choir, watched over by the Three Magi.
The golden Shrine of the Magi, studded with Byzantine jewels.
The 10th-century Gero Cross.
Ex-votos (gifts) pinned to the dress of the miraculous Jeweled Madonna.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/cologne-cathedralLinkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=36157.0
Topic: Cologne Cathedral, Germany Unesco cultural heritage! (Read 807 times)