Viking Cruise #23: The Famous Speyer Cathedral

This is the second part of my blog about our Viking Cruise stop-over to Speyer, Germany. The most famous landmark in the city is the Cathedral.

(Photo: Everyone, except me (Rob) was looking up to the top of the Speyer Cathedral, and I thought this pic was fun. Behind me, Lisa and Carter. Tom to the right. Cr: R.G.)

 

(Photo: Here's the top of the church that everyone was looking up to! Cr: R.G.)

ABOUT THE SPEYER CATHEDRAL - Speyer Cathedral is an Episcopal church. It is a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodeled at the end of the 11th century. It goes by other names, too: it's officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephens.

FAST FACTS - The cathedral was consecrated in 1061 to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Protomartyr Stephen. In 1981 the Speyer Cathedral was admitted to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

TOURS - There are crypt and emperor tombs, and a tower. Both can be toured in addition to the church tour. They offer guided tours in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch and ask you to book in advance. Contact: E-Mail domfuehrungen@bistum-speyer.de For information about the church, visit: https://www.dom-zu-speyer.de/en/.
 

ODD NOTE - The cathedral is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer, but the Cathedral isn't named for her. Instead it's also known as St. Stephen (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer).

(Photo: The tour guide gave Carter, our friend from the cruise, his tour leader "paddle." Tom is on the right. Credit: R.G.) 

ARCHITECTURE NOTE - The original building was made with wooden roofs, and its reconstruction is replaced by stone vaults of edges; foreclosing highest space; raising. 

This is how the side walls are attached to the roof by the same material, replacing the bucket abstracto sealed horizontal, for a space defined by semicircular arches. (I'm sure you needed to know that, right?)

NEXT: Speyer Statues and Mary and Mary Ellen's Big Bowl