Cologne Cathedral - Table of Contents   ...............   Architecture Around the World

Interior architecture and Works of Art - Cologne Cathedral
Cologne, Germany

November 2019 Photos

Looking toward the main altar at the front of the church   Chancel / Sanctuary Looking toward the main altar Clerestory windows over the main altar Clearstory (top windows)   ...   Triforium   ...   Arcade Clearstory (top windows)   ...   Triforium  Arcade windows 2 aisles: The plan of the cathedral is in the shape of a Latin Cross, and has two aisles on either side  which support one of the highest Gothic vaults ever built   ...   Looking towards the narthex and west portals

Two mosaic floor details Mosaic   ...    Upper left:  The imperial eagle of the Holy Roman Empire,  usually displayed on a gold shield Cologne Cathedral

The Magi Visit Jesus The altarpiece of the city's patron saints - the Magi - is a triptych painted by Stefan Lochner in about 1442.     ...  "January 6 is the feast of these three Magi, who brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi brought Jesus gold to show that He was a king; frankincense to honor Him as God; and myrrh to greet Him as man. These Magi first saw the star which led them to Bethlehem on the previous March 25, the day, and at the moment, that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb. It took the Magi nine months and twelve days to reach Bethlehem, guided by the star. The star left them when they were in Jerusalem. But it shone again after the Magi left Jerusalem, and led them to the cave of Bethlehem. Our Lady let each of the Magi hold Jesus in his arms. They were given some of His baby clothes to bring back to the East by way of relics. The Magi returned to the East, to Persia and later were baptized there by Saint Thomas the Apostle, in the year 40. All three of the Magi were martyred for the Catholic Faith. Their names are now, and should always be called, Saint Gaspar, Saint Melchior and Saint Balthasar. The bodies of Saint Gaspar, Saint Melchior and Saint Balthasar were first brought to Constantinople, and then to Milan, and in the twelfth century they were placed in the Cathedral of Cologne, in Germany, where they are venerated with much love by the Christians who worship there." - Catholicism.ORG (online Dec. 2019)  ...   4 details below: Left panel   . Right panel Center panel   ...   Detail below:

St. Christopher A 12.5 foot stone statue of Saint Christopher looks down towards the place where the earlier entrance to the cathedral was, before its completion in the late nineteenth century   ...   Sculptor:  Tilman van der Burch, c. 1470   ...   Encyclopaedia Britannica (online Dec. 2019): "Saint Christopher, (flourished 3rd century; Western feast day July 25; Eastern feast day May 9), legendary martyr of the early church. Venerated as one of the 14 Auxiliary Saints (Holy Helpers), he is the patron saint of travelers and, beginning in the 20th century, of motorists. Though one of the most popular saints, there is no certainty that he existed historically. In 1969 his name was dropped from the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and his feast day is no longer obligatory. "According to the Roman martyrology, he died in Lycia under the Roman emperor Decius (c. 250). He is the hero of many later legends, which represent him as a giant who, after being converted, devoted his life to carrying travelers across a river. One day a small child asked to be transported, and in the middle of the river the child became so heavy that Christopher staggered under the burden, complained of the weight, and was told that he had borne upon his back the world and Him who created it. Hence, Christopher (Greek: “Christ-Bearer”) is generally represented in art carrying the Christ Child on his back." 2 details below: Volcanic tuff stone: a fragmental rock consisting of the smaller kinds of volcanic detritus, as ash or cinder, usually more or less stratified

Mailander Madonna 1290 Located in the Sacrament Chapel, is the wooden Mailander Madonna/Madonna of Milan (1290) an example of Marian Gothic sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus   ...   Two details below: