Places we have been.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Speyer

Speyer is very much popular as a tourist destination because of its very old and rich history dated since 10 BC. It is located beside the Rhine River. The city center is dominated by The Imperial Cathedral of Speyer, other old churches and the Old Town Gate.

The Imperial Cathedral of Speyer, the foundation of which is in the form of a latin cross, is one of the largest and most significant Romanesque edifices in Germany. It was built by the emperors and designated as their last resting place as a symbol of their power. Construction began around 1030 under the Salic Emperor Konrad II and it was consecrated in 1061. Under Heinrich IV renovations and extensions were undertaken. The cathedral of Speyer is the first known structure to be built with a gallery which goes around the whole building. The system of arcatures added during these renovations was also a first in architectural history. The town fire of 1689 destroyed a large part of the nave, but in 1758 restorations were started and by 1778 it had been restored to its original state.
As we were just approaching Speyer, the first thing we noticed were the towers of the cathedral. I was telling my parents that by just looking at it, it gives an impression of dominance and power. From the parking lot, we climb few steps to get to the cathedral. Wow, it is humongous!

view from the parking lot
the altar side

exterior wall, i can't even fit it in my lens..


The facade of the cathedral


The total length of the cathedral is 134 m (from the steps at the entrance to the exterior wall of the east apse),

Width of the nave: 37.62 m (from exterior wall to exterior wall),
Height of the nave at the vertex of the vaults: 33 m,
Height of the eastern spires: 71.20 m
Height of the western spires: 65.60 m
Crypt Length: east-west 35 m; north-south 46 m
Height: between 6.2 m and 6.5 m


The main doors alone are huge, I mean huge. Inside the cathedral, we were in awe with its huge structure.

The main entrance to the cathedral


inside the cathedral

The altar is vast, there is an area for the members of the clergy and a wide area for the noble people. There is a chapel beside the altar which houses the cremated remains of some bishops and priests. Then we went below the altar, the place was a little bit dark and cool.

The Altar
below the altar
The Tombs


There is also a chapel at one side and opposite is the crypt. The crypt has retained its orignal condition to the present. Being the official church of the Salic Emperors, eight German Emperors and Kings, four queens and a number of bishops were buried here.

Emperor Konrad II, buried 1039

Empress Gisela, wife of Konrad II, buried 1043

Emperor Heinrich III, buried 1056

Emperor Heinrich IV, buried 1111

Emperor Heinrich V, buried 1125
Empress Beatrix, second wife of Friedrich Barbarossa, buried 1184
Agnes, daughter of Friedrich Barbarossa, buried 1184
King Philipp of Swabia, Son of Friedrich Barbarossa, buried 1216
King Rudolf of Habsburg, buried 1291 King Adolf of Nassau, buried 1309

Some of the bodies, however, are believed to have been lost during one of the French invasions experienced by the region during the 17th and 18th centuries.

It was kind of eerie inside the crypt, a graphical illustration is mounted in the wall showing the detailed location of the tombs. It is really amazing!. It's unbelievable to be able to see this place which has been very significant hundreds of years ago.

From the cathedral we walked through the city centre to the Old town Gate. Along the way, is a picturesque sight of colorful buildings, beautiful outdoor restaurants and coffee areas.



The Trinity Church

the Old Town Gate

As we reached the Old Town gate, we decided to take a walk outside the city centre to see more old churches. Later on, we were were happy to find a Chinese restaurant to have lunch because my parents would always look for steamed rice. So every time we go out, we are always on the hunt for Asian Restaurants.

After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Technik Museum. It is a huge and very interesting place to see. Check-out the Technik Musuem website
http://www.technik-museum.de/uk/speyer/




The spy submarine
The Schmittmesser plane used during the WWII


To view the Speyer photo album click on the following link.
http://jernie1.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album02

Posted by: Jernie

1 comments:

I work @ speyer ..

...look @ new Restaurant in Schifferstadt ...

http://www.bistro-nemo.de

By: Anonymous on Oct 10, 2008, 3:10:00 PM

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