Maria Laach Abbey in Germany
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Abbey Maria Laach – monastery in the Eifel mountains, built in the Middle Ages. The monastery was founded by the Count Palatine Heinrich II von Laach and his wife Adelheid von Weimar-Orlamunde in 1093. However, the construction, dragging on, was completed only by 1216. The modern name was given to the cathedral in 1863. The six-tower cathedral includes a vaulted basilica with a cozy inner garden, a western portal (the so-called paradis), a cloister of the early 13th century. The cloister, restored in 1859, is the most beautiful monument of Romanesque architecture from the era of the Salic dynasty. In 1926, Pope Pius XI awarded the temple the title of Basilica Minor. Today the abbey and its surroundings, including agricultural land, Lake Laach with tourist services, a hotel on the lakeside, craft workshops with the possibility of training those who wish, a small zoo, a garden, a publishing house with a bookstore, belongs to the Benedictine order. Cathedral of Mary Laach – the best-preserved Romanesque building in Germany, it has hardly undergone any reconstruction or restoration. Despite its age, the building looks organic. The basilica with columns, three naves, two choirs, two transepts is crowned with six towers. The cathedral was built piece by piece over several centuries: the eastern part was completed by 1177, the western – by 1230. The outer walls of the cathedral were decorated with shoulder blades, reliefs with images of mythological heroes and floral ornaments. The interior of the cathedral is also not distinguished by pretentiousness or excess. The decor is very simple and discreet. In the middle nave, the wooden ceiling was replaced by a stone one at the beginning of the 13th century, while the eastern choir houses a unique altar with ciborium.     
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