Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Republic of Mainz

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in amuseum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. . This large crypt, below the eastern choir, was planned already, when the eastern choir was constructed (1100/1005), but the construction stopped over centuries. It did not get finished due to the flooding from the river Rhine, which is only about 400 meters away. The reconstruction of the 19th century finally finished the work. The crypt ("Bonifatius Chapel") holds a modern shrine (seen below the blue window) containing relics of 22 saints, connected to Mainz. The crypt under the western choir is from 1926. It is used since then as burial place for the archbishops of Mainz.

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in a museum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. The cathedral has two choirs and two crossings. Standing in the west in the nave and looking east. The central nave and the vaulting was completed around 1137. The baroque altars near the nave seem to be glued into the structure.

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in a museum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. . The gothic cloister has survived the times. In neighbouring Speyer it got demolished early 19th century. Here are the graves for the members of the chapter like in most bishoprics, that still have a cloister. It is raining. The sextons have carried all the pots with the ornamental trees into the cloister. The trees probably like the rain - and stand in perfect line.

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in amuseum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. . The carving on the left side of the portal shows two grim lions and a ram in the middle, a very common theme, that as well can be seen in nearby Speyer. On the right a griffon. The artistic style of the lions is very dynamic, they are in front of the capitals.

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in amuseum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. . The small eastern portal has some nice carvings. There is no tympanon, and I have no idea what the the three holes are for, which are in the semicircular area over the doors. The portal leads in the a kind of "gap". Turning left the visitor enters the cloister, turning right the visitor enters the eastern choir of the cathedral. Please note the lions to the left.

The St. Martin's Cathedral, a predominantly romanesque structure, with many gothic and some baroque extensions, is in the very center of the city of Mainz. Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, an important political player, had the construction of a cathedral started end of the 10th century. This basilica was (already!) completed 1009. A day before consecration in August 1009, the new cathedral was illuminated by torches - and burnt down completely. So finally 1036 Archbishop Bardo completed the church and it got consecrated in the presence of Conrad II. Another fire in 1081 damaged the cathedral. With the support of Henry IV the reconstruction started around 1100. For the next years "magistri comacin", highly specialised stone masons from the Lombardy left their marks here. In 1184 Frederick I Barbarossa hold one of the biggest parties of medieval times here, for the accolade of his sons, a ceremony that took place inside the cathedral. During the Thirty Years' War swedish troops looted the cathedral, so some parts of the former treasury are now in amuseum in Uppsala. The "Republic of Mainz", a product of the French Revolution, was the first democratic state on German territory. The state was represented in Paris by Georg Forster, who, as a boy, had been in the Pacific with Captain Cook. During the time of the republic the cathedral was used as a piggery, later a military hospital. All furniture was either sold or used for heating up the building. The time of the republic ended, when Prussia cannonaded Mainz, what damaged the cathedral severely. . The eastern apse and the transept within the two flanking towers. The lower parts of these towers date back to around 1000. Henry IV supported from around 1100 on the rebuilding of the cathedral after the fire of 1081. Henry IV had just before remodelled the Speyer Cathedral - and he had employed very experienced stone masons from the Lombardy, the "magistri comacin". So the cathedral in Speyer and the cathedral in Mainz are both in a kind of lombardic style. They both have blind arcades (aka "lombard bands"), dwarf galleries and this triangle of niches under the gable. After the death of their sponsor Henry IV (1106) the lombardic masters left the construction site - and moved on.