Church of St. Martin (Gross Sankt Martin) description and photos - Germany: Cologne (Topic)

St Martin's Church (Gross Sankt Martin) description and photos - Germany: Cologne. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Gross Sankt Martin.

Photo and description

St. Martin's Church is one of the most famous Romanesque basilicas in Cologne. It is located right in the center of the city, where it is quite densely surrounded by various buildings of the late XX century.

The history of this beautiful temple began in the XII century, then it was built on the foundation that remained from one of the more ancient buildings. the era of the Romans. For several centuries, the church at the monastery of the Benedictines, but during the period of secularization it became an ordinary parish church. Unfortunately, during the hostilities of the 20th century, the basilica was significantly damaged; its restoration continued until 1985. Currently, St. Martin's Church is open to everyone.

From all the past interior decoration and interiors, almost nothing has survived to the present day. From the surviving one, there is an altar, which was made at the very beginning of the 16th century; it is located in the side nave. The sculptural group depicting scenes of the Passion of Christ deserves special attention. Each of them is framed by a special Gothic arch made of sandstone. The author of these sculptures is considered Tillmann van der Burch, who worked in Cologne in the 15th century.

Not far from the crucifix there is a font, carved from stone in the 13th century. It is made in the shape of an octahedron, decorated with friezes made of water lilies. Historians believe that this font was previously in the church of St. Brigit, but was later donated by Leopold III to the church of St. Martin. Of particular value to the church is a triptych depicting the adoration of the Magi.

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Topic: Church of St. Martin (Gross Sankt Martin) description and photos - Germany: Cologne.