Bonn Cathedral. Religious sights of Bonn - temples, cathedrals and mosques
Bonn Cathedral, a tall Romanesque basilica of perfect proportions, is located in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. The place on which the cathedral stands has been considered sacred for 2000 years: first there was a pagan temple, then Christian church and the tomb of the holy martyrs Cassius and Florence.
The city of Bonn was founded by the Romans as a fortress of Castra Bonnensia in the 1st century AD. e. It survived the collapse of the Roman Empire, becoming a civilian settlement, and in the 9th century turned into the Frankish city of Bonnburg.
Around the year 235, two Roman legionaries Cassius and Florence arrived in Castra Bonnencia and were betrayed. martyrdom for my Christian faith. According to tradition, in the 4th century, St. Helena, mother of Constantine I the Great, built a small memorial tomb over their graves. No evidence of this construction has been preserved, however, archaeological excavations have shown that the basilica stands on the site of a Roman temple and necropolis.
In the 6th-7th centuries, the memorial hall was expanded, and many people were buried next to the martyrs, both inside and outside the building. The next expansion took place in the 8th century.
Around 1050, the church was completely destroyed, and construction began on a modern Romanesque building, which dates back to the 11th-13th centuries. By the end of construction, Bonn had already acquired great importance and turned into the capital of the Cologne Archbishopric. The new basilica appeared on the coat of arms of the city. In 1643, Cassius and Florence were officially declared patron saints of the city of Bonn.
The church survived severe damage in 1583-1589, 1689 and during the Second World War, but each time it was completely restored.
In 1956 Bonn Cathedral received the honorary title of Pontifical Minor Basilica.
The cathedral is located in the heart of the city on the Martinsplatz and Münsterplatz squares, not far from the railway station. The temple has five towers: two square towers on the east side, a round central tower 96 meters high and two thin turrets on the west. All are crowned with spiers. The nondescript western part of the cathedral is one of the oldest parts of the basilica, dating back to the 11th century.
In the open area in the eastern part of the basilica lie the large heads of the Roman martyrs Cassius and Florence, the patron saints of Bonn. They were created in 2002 by the sculptor Iskander Yediler, who also owns the sculptures of St. Benno in Munich and St. Gereon in Cologne.
The nave of the basilica dates from 1220 and is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic elements. It is illuminated through identical contemporary stained glass windows with a colored center and a black and white pattern around the edges.
At the back of the nave (to the west) stands a huge statue of St. Helena, donated by Cardinal Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg, rector of the Collegiate Church (1629-1661).
Much of the interior decoration is in Baroque or earlier styles. The font belongs to XII century. In 1966, a small image of Noah's Ark appeared on it. Near the font in the northwestern corner is the image of St. Helena, St. Cassia, St. Florence and panoramas of the city of Bonn (1704).
The south transept contains several contemporary frescoes, including a large depiction of St. Christopher. Also here is the altar of St. John with a relief depiction of the scene of the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist and John the Evangelist writing New Testament.
The north transept contains a fresco from 1400 depicting the Three Wise Men (who are said to have stopped to rest near Cologne Cathedral), an equestrian statue of Saint Martin of Tours, and the tomb of Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne (1463-1478).
In the front (eastern) part of the nave are two large Romanesque sculptures (c. 1200), an angel and a devil. A staircase under the altar leads to an underground chapel where prayers are usually held. Here, on a stone pedestal between the eastern pillars, a shrine with the relics of Cassius and Florence is kept. Behind the closed door is the tomb of the martyrs, the door is opened only on the day of the celebration of these saints, October 10th.
The altar above the chapel dates back to the 11th century; in the 19th century it was decorated with paintings. On the vault at the back of the temple is a fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (c. 1300). The main altar was made in 1865; here you can see sculptures of Saints Cassius, Florence, Martin and Helena.
The mosaic located on the apse was created in Venice in 1894 and is based on the motif of a Byzantine deesis. The mosaic on the windows depicts the creation of the World and dates back to 1951-1952.
The covered gallery, which is accessed by a door in the southwest corner, was built in the 12th century, at the same time the two-story collegiate buildings were added, which are still occupied by the clergy of the basilica.
In the center of the gallery there is a garden with a fountain; dragons, horses, lions and leaves are carved on the vaults in the Romanesque style. The north side of the gallery was demolished in the 13th century to widen the south aisle of the cathedral.
1. Traveling around cities and villages, sometimes you don’t notice what is very close by. Looking through my posts, I noticed that I never talked about the main church of Bonn, an example of the German Romanesque style in architecture - the Münsterbasilica, although it deserves it. In justification, I can say that photographs of the external appearance flashed in posts about Bonn. So, Bonn, Münsterbasilica.
2. But first, a little history... The history of Bonn begins in Roman times. In 11 B.C. The Romans began to use the territory of present-day Bonn as a camp for the Roman army. It is from that time that the name of the city probably comes, namely from the name of the settlers "bonn". In Bonn, the oldest mention of the existence of this city in Rhine-Westphalia was found, dated approximately 30 BC. But archaeologists believe that there were settlements on the territory of Bonn 14,000 years old.
St. Martin's Münster or Munsterbasilica - home Catholic Church Bonn. Built in 1050 in the Romanesque style.
3. For almost 200 years, the great Bonnets Ludwig van Beethoven has been staring at the Münsterbasilica (by the way, this monument is a gift to the city from Franz Liszt). 
4. In the XI-XII centuries. in the territory inhabited by the peoples of the Romance language group (France, western Germany and northern Italy), the Romanesque style arose, which was based on the heritage of ancient Roman and Byzantine cultures. The defining buildings of the Romanesque style were basilica cathedrals with two to four towers on both sides of the entrance, crowned with high hipped roofs of a pyramidal or conical shape. Also characteristic is a large number of small columns in the window openings, because then there was no Gothic with its large stained-glass windows - this will come later! 
5. The arch of the central entrance to the church is decorated with a beautiful mosaic "Good News", just below the coat of arms of the Vatican is visible. It turns out that since 1956, the Basilica has been given the honorary title of Basilica minor, which is awarded by the Pope in a special way. significant churches. "For its historical past, the beauty and monumentality of the valuable monument of Romanica," Pope Pius XII justified his decision. 
6. The basilicas marked by the Vatican have a special status, the right to hang the coat of arms of the Vatican on their walls, and in all state and religious holidays the flags of the Vatican are hoisted. The title "Basilica maior" is 1478 churches, 528 of them only in Italy. 
7. The main spire of the basilica is decorated with a gilded crown with a diameter of 1.5 m - evidence that coronations took place here twice in history: November 25, 1314 - the coronation of King Frederick III of Germany. and November 26, 1346 - the coronation of King Charles IV, who is considered the most prominent ruler of the second half of the Middle Ages. 
8. Around the basilica there are works of art, for example, this wall dating back to ancient times, which was excavated in the monastery garden. Its niches are decorated with four bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Saint Martin. 
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10. I have already talked about this sculptural group. 
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13. Through the basilica itself you can get into the courtyard - the cloister. 
14. Here is what Wikipedia says about it: cloister (from Latin claustrum, closed place) - typical for Romanesque architecture a covered bypass gallery framing a closed rectangular courtyard or inner garden of a monastery or a large church. 
15. Usually the cloister is located along the wall of the building, while one of its walls is deaf, and the second is a colonnade. Often called the cloister itself and the open courtyard, surrounded by a gallery. 
16. In the Middle Ages, the courtyard of the cloister certainly had a well in the center, from which paths departed. Usually the cloister was attached to the long southern facade of the cathedral. It seems to me that the peculiarity of the cloister of the Münsterbasilica is that the ornament on the columns is not repeated. 
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18. Although the building of the cathedral in Bonn was built in the Romanesque style, baroque elements predominate in the interior. 
19. For example, this elegant pulpit or some baroque elements of altars. 
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22. Not far from the entrance, a large bronze sculpture of St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. 
23. It is under the altar of the temple that the crypt is located.
Bonn, pl. Münsterplatz, 5.
Bonn Cathedral, a tall Romanesque basilica of perfect proportions, is located in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. The place on which the cathedral stands has been considered sacred for 2000 years: at first there was catholic church, then the Christian church and the tomb of the holy martyrs Cassius and Florence.
The city of Bonn was founded by the Romans as a fortress of Castra Bonnensia in the 1st century AD. e. It survived the collapse of the Roman Empire, becoming a civilian settlement, and in the 9th century turned into the Frankish city of Bonnburg.
Around the year 235, two Roman legionaries Cassius and Florence arrived in Castra Bonnencia and were martyred for their Christian faith. According to tradition, in the 4th century, St. Helena, mother of Constantine I the Great, built a small memorial tomb over their graves. No evidence of this construction has been preserved, however, archaeological excavations have shown that the basilica stands on the site of a Roman temple and necropolis.
In the 6th-7th centuries, the memorial hall was expanded, and many people were buried next to the martyrs, both inside and outside the building. The next expansion took place in the 8th century.
Around 1050, the church was completely destroyed, and construction began on the modern Romanesque building, which dates back to the 11th-13th centuries. By the end of construction, Bonn had already acquired great importance and turned into the capital of the Cologne Archbishopric. The new basilica appeared on the coat of arms of the city. In 1643, Cassius and Florence were officially declared patron saints of the city of Bonn.
The church survived severe damage in 1583-1589, 1689 and during the Second World War, but each time it was completely restored.
In 1956 Bonn Cathedral received the honorary title of Pontifical Minor Basilica.
The cathedral is located in the heart of the city on the Martinsplatz and Münsterplatz squares, not far from the railway station. The temple has five towers: two square towers on the east side, a round central tower 96 meters high and two thin turrets on the west. All are crowned with spiers. The nondescript western part of the cathedral is one of the oldest parts of the basilica, dating back to the 11th century.
In the open area in the eastern part of the basilica lie the large heads of the Roman martyrs Cassius and Florence, the patron saints of Bonn. They were created in 2002 by the sculptor Iskander Yediler, who also owns the sculptures of St. Benno in Munich and St. Gereon in Cologne.
The nave of the basilica dates from 1220 and is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic elements. It is illuminated through identical contemporary stained glass windows with a colored center and a black and white pattern around the edges.
At the back of the nave (to the west) stands a huge statue of St. Helena, donated by Cardinal Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg, rector of the Collegiate Church (1629-1661).
Much of the interior decoration is in Baroque or earlier styles. The font belongs to the XII century. In 1966, a small image of Noah's Ark appeared on it. Near the font in the northwestern corner is the image of St. Helena, St. Cassia, St. Florence and panoramas of the city of Bonn (1704).
The south transept contains several contemporary frescoes, including a large depiction of St. Christopher. Also here is the altar of St. John with a relief image of the scene of the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist and John the Evangelist writing the New Testament.
The north transept contains a fresco from 1400 depicting the Three Wise Men (who are said to have stopped to rest near Cologne Cathedral), an equestrian statue of Saint Martin of Tours, and the tomb of Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne (1463–1478).
In the front (eastern) part of the nave are two large Romanesque sculptures (c. 1200), an angel and a devil. A staircase under the altar leads to an underground chapel where prayers are usually held. Here, on a stone pedestal between the eastern pillars, a shrine with the relics of Cassius and Florence is kept. Behind the closed door is the tomb of the martyrs, the door is opened only on the day of the celebration of these saints, October 10th.
The altar above the chapel dates back to the 11th century; in the 19th century it was decorated with paintings. On the vault at the back of the temple is a fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (c. 1300). The main altar was made in 1865; here you can see sculptures of Saints Cassius, Florence, Martin and Helena.
The mosaic located on the apse was created in Venice in 1894 and is based on the motif of a Byzantine deesis. The mosaic on the windows depicts the creation of the World and dates back to 1951-1952.
The covered gallery, which is accessed by a door in the southwest corner, was built in the 12th century, at the same time the two-story collegiate buildings were added, which are still occupied by the clergy of the basilica.
In the center of the gallery there is a garden with a fountain; dragons, horses, lions and leaves are carved on the vaults in the Romanesque style. The north side of the gallery was demolished in the 13th century to widen the south aisle of the cathedral.
Church of St. Martin, Bonn Cathedral- Bonner Munster. The temple is depicted on the coat of arms of the city of the XIII century and since that time is the symbol of the city. At this place 2000 years ago buried two executed Roman soldiers, Cassius and Florentius (Cassius & Florentius) who did not want to renounce the Christian faith. They are revered as saints and patrons of the city. Inside the basilica are busts of two former legionnaires. Outside... lie their huge heads! two huge heads Legionnaires created in 2002 by a sculptor from Turkey Yediler. The view that the church has today is similar to that of the 11th-13th centuries. It is characterized by elements of the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Near Munster are Martin Fountain And Pillory .
Initially, on the site of the temple where the goddess Diana was worshiped (in the altar of the temple in 1910, a walled stone with a dedication to the goddess Diana was discovered, which suggests the existence of an older Roman shrine on this site). Around 235, two Roman legionaries Cassius and Florence arrived in Castra Bonnencia (as the settlement on this place was called), who were put to death for their Christian faith (the Roman emperor Maximian Herculius - Maximianus Herculius - ordered his legionnaires to execute Christians - and those who disobeyed the order of the emperor, were killed). In the 4th century Saint Helena, mother of Constantine I the Great, built a small memorial tomb over their graves. Archaeological excavations have shown that the basilica stands on the site of a Roman temple and necropolis. In the 6th-7th centuries, the memorial hall was expanded, and many people were buried next to the martyrs, both inside and outside the building. The next expansion took place in the 8th century.
Around 1050, the church was completely destroyed, and the construction of a modern Romanesque building began, which dates from the 11th-13th centuries - this is a three-aisled basilica with two towers. In the XIII century, after a fire, it was decided to reconstruct the church and change appearance, from Romanesque to Gothic. The new basilica appeared on the coat of arms of the city. In 1643, Cassius and Florence were officially declared patron saints of the city of Bonn. The church experienced severe damage in 1583 - 1589, in 1689; it was constructed in 1883 - 1889, in 1934, and after air raids during the Second World War. In 1956, the Bonn Cathedral received the honorary title of the Pontifical Minor Basilica - "Basilica Minor". In general, the cathedral was a monastery church, but after the dispersal of the monasteries by Napoleon during the French occupation in early XIX century and the demolition of the neighboring parish church of St. Martin, in 1812 the cathedral became a parish church.
The temple has five towers: two square towers on the east side, a round central tower 96 meters high and two thin turrets on the west. All are crowned with spiers. The nondescript western part of the cathedral is one of the oldest parts of the basilica, dating back to the 11th century.
The interior decoration is quite luxurious and rich. The nave of the basilica dates from 1220 and is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic elements. It is illuminated through identical contemporary stained glass windows with a colored center and a black and white pattern around the edges.
At the back of the nave stands a huge statue of Helena, cast in bronze and erected in 1610, donated by Cardinal Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg.
The font belongs to the XII century. In 1966, a small image of Noah's Ark appeared on it. Near the font in the northwestern corner is the image of St. Helena, St. Cassia, St. Florence and panoramas of the city of Bonn (1704).
The south transept contains several contemporary frescoes, including a large depiction of St. Christopher. Also here is the altar of St. John with a relief image of the scene of the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist and John the Evangelist writing the New Testament.
The north transept contains a fresco from 1400 depicting the Three Wise Men (who are said to have stopped to rest near Cologne Cathedral), an equestrian statue of Saint Martin of Tours, and the tomb of Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne (1463–1478). In general, there are four burial places of archbishops.
In the front (eastern) part of the nave are two large Romanesque sculptures (c. 1200), an angel and a devil. A staircase under the altar leads to an underground chapel where prayers are usually held. Here, on a stone pedestal between the eastern pillars, a shrine with the relics of Cassius and Florence is kept. Behind the closed bronze door is the tomb of the martyrs, the door is opened only on the feast day of these saints, October 10th. Inside the tomb are marble slabs covering the graves in which the legendary Christian martyrs Cassius and Florentius, and a couple more. Black marble slabs appeared here in 1701.
The altar above the chapel dates back to the 11th century; in the 19th century it was decorated with paintings. On the vault at the back of the temple is a fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (1300). The main altar was made in 1865; here you can see sculptures of Saints Cassius, Florence, Martin and Helena. Near the altar are two small sculptures from the 12th century. One of them is called "Writing Angel". The other is "Damn with a Scroll".
The mosaic located on the apse was created in Venice in 1894 and is based on the motif of a Byzantine deesis. The mosaic on the windows depicts the creation of the World and dates back to 1951-1952.
In the southwest corner of the church, there is a door leading to a hidden gallery. Its vaults are decorated with carvings depicting horses, lions and dragons. There is a fountain in the center of the gallery. The covered gallery, which is accessed by a door in the southwest corner, was built in the 12th century, at the same time the two-story collegiate buildings were added, which are still occupied by the clergy of the basilica. The north side of the gallery was demolished in the 13th century to widen the south aisle of the cathedral.
In the open area in the eastern part of the basilica lie the large heads of the Roman martyrs Cassius and Florence, they were created in 2002 by the sculptor Iskander Yediler, the creator of the sculpture of St. Benno in Munich and St. Gereon in Cologne.
Open Sunday 8:30 - 19:15, Monday - Saturday 7:30 - 18:45, 12th century courtyard, respectively, 13:00 - 17:30 and 10:00 - 17:30. The entrance is free.
