Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Otto IV

Braunschweig - Dom

21 May 2023 2 92
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. - The bronze seven-armed candelabrum from the 12th century consists of 74 individual parts, has a height of 4.80 m, a span of 4.30 m, and weighs over 400 kg. The time of origin has not been handed down in writing. It is regarded as a foundation of Henry the Lion. Based on material analyses, it is probable that the candlestick was made in a bronze foundry workshop in the Braunschweig area. It was first mentioned in a document in 1196 when Ludolf von Volkmarode undertook to take care of the wax candles for this candelabrum.

Braunschweig - Dom

21 May 2023 1 86
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. The crypt

Braunschweig - Dom

21 May 2023 2 106
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. - The "Imervard-Kreuz", made in the mid-12th century, is a larger-than-life oak crucifix measuring 2.71 m high and 2.66 m wide. The unknown "Master Imervard", who created the cross, marked his work on the ends of Christ's girdle with the inscription IMERVARD ME FECIT. This marking was originally hidden from the viewer by a gold sheet covering the belt. Master Imervar's signature

Braunschweig - Dom

21 May 2023 1 116
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. - The "Imervard-Kreuz", made in the mid-12th century, is a larger-than-life oak crucifix measuring 2.71 m high and 2.66 m wide. The unknown "Master Imervard", who created the cross, marked his work on the ends of Christ's girdle with the inscription IMERVARD ME FECIT. This marking was originally hidden from the viewer by a gold sheet covering the belt.

Braunschweig - Dom

21 May 2023 1 97
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. - The burial place of Henry the Lion and his second wife Matilda of England. Henry the Lion was known as Henry III. Duke of Saxony and also as Heinrich XII. Duke of Bavaria. He was the son of Henry the Proud, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, and Gertrud of Supplinburg, the only daughter of Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor. A detail of the tomb. Henry the Lion holds a model of the Dom in his hand. The tomb was made of shell limestone around 1250.

Braunschweig - Dom

20 May 2023 3 100
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. - The burial place of Henry the Lion and his second wife Matilda of England. Henry the Lion was known as Henry III. Duke of Saxony and also as Heinrich XII. Duke of Bavaria. He was the son of Henry the Proud, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, and Gertrud of Supplinburg, the only daughter of Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor.

Braunschweig - Dom

20 May 2023 1 75
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom.

Braunschweig - Dom

20 May 2023 69
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom.

Braunschweig - Dom

20 May 2023 2 3 82
Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom.

Guebwiller - Eglise Saint-Léger

20 Jun 2011 144
The construction of the church Saint-Léger (= Leodegar, Ludger) in Guebwiller started in 1182 and took about 100 years. The building, built from red local sandstone, is pretty huge and the style is between late romanesque and early gothic. An interesting point I found is, that the architects of this church obviously spent a lot of time in Rosheim, studying the church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, that is only about 30 years older. The tympanum depicts three persons. Jesus in the middle, having a large cross-nimbus, holding the bible in his left hand, while his right hand forms the blessing gesture. Exactly this liturgical gesture was introduced by Pope Innocent III (1198-1216). The thumb and the stretched middlefinger and forefinger stand for the Trinity, while the two bent fingers symbolize the divine and human natures of Christ. The person to the right has a plain nimbus. If this would be St. Leodegar, he would probably hold a sword, as he is a martyr, but the person holds a script roll (?) and probably is one of the four evangelists. The person sitting to the right has no nimbus - but a crown. He holds in his hands a flower, that obviously is the fleur-de-lys, symbol of all french kings. The construction of the church started 1182 and took about 100 years. Considering, that the liturgical gesture came from Pope Innocence ( 1216) and it took some time to travel to Guebwiller, I think this is either: Philip II of France (aka "Philippe Auguste") ruled 1180 - 1223. He was one of the most important medieval kings. He battled the House of Plantagenet (Richard Lionheart, John Lackland). By beating Otto IV (Battle of Bouvines 1214) he paved the way for Frederick II, from the House of Hohenstaufen. or: Louis IX of France (aka "Saint Louis"), ruled 1226-1270: He was grandson of Philip II and as well one of the very important french kings. He went on two cruisade, made peace with the House of Plantagenet - and was known for his pious life. He was canonized 1297. It is interesting to see, that the fleur-de-lys here is shown by a french king, while only some decades earlier in Rosheim (90kms north) this symbol forms the end of a dragon´s tail. A dragon coming straight from hell. www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5803279737/ Capetian influence here - influence of the House of Welf there.

Foligno - Cattedrale di San Feliciano

05 Jul 2016 224
Foligno was an Umbrian settlement, taken over by the Romans in 295 BC and named "Fulginiae". After the fall of the Roman Empire it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto. In 881 it got sacked and looted by Saracens, in 915 and again in 924 it was ruined by Magyar troops. The survivers decided to move close to the "Civitas Sancti Feliciani", a strongly fortified church where Bishop and martyr Feliciano was buried. Thanks to Barbarossa it gained the status of free city in 1165. Siding first with the Guelph party, Foligno became Ghibelline later and was a rival of Perugia. Foligno changed hands often during the wars of the 13th century. From the the 14th century on the city flourished, controlling large territory. Foligno was part of the Papal States until 1860 (with only two short exceptions). Foligno has suffered from a major earthquake in 1997, some traces can still be found. The "Cattedrale di San Feliciano" was built on the site of an earlier basilica ("Civitas Sancti Feliciani") 1133-1201. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno. The cathedral has two façades, the principal façade, facing the Piazza Grande, and the secondary façade facing the Piazza della Repubblica. This is the center of the secondary façade´s portal, that dates from 1201. It is the work of the master sculptors and architects Rodolfo and Binello. The zodiacs are on the inner archivolt, the next one has entangled vines (and grapes). The two outer archivolts consist out of nice "cosmatesque" mosaics. In the center are moon, stars and sun under an inscription of the keystone telling the onlookers, that "stars, sun, and moon reveal a time of purity”. Pope Innocent III had crowned Otto of Brunswick as Emperor Otto IV of the Holy Roman Empire in 1209. But this was not the begin of a "time of purity”. Otto IV broke all promises and commanded Innocent III to annul the Concordat of Worms. Innocent III promptly excommunicated Otto IV what triggered a pan European power game, that Otto IV lost, when his armee was beaten in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Otto IV was followed by Frederick II (aka "Stupor Mundi").