Dom St. Marien / Cathedral of St. Mary (Erfurt, Thuringia)
N 50° 58.551 E 011° 01.419
32U E 642066 N 5649088
Monumental Cathedral of St. Mary (Dom St. Marien), a jewel of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is the key landmark of Thuringian capital Erfurt...
Waymark Code: WM8B9P
Location: Thüringen, Germany
Date Posted: 03/06/2010
Views: 73
The Cathedral of St. Mary, located on small hill called Domberg in Erfurt's historic centre, was founded in 742. In 1154 the original church was replaced by a Romanesque basilica, to which the High Gothic choir was added in 1349-1370. In 1455-1465 it was rebuilt into hall-church, with a huge hipped roof spanning the nave and aisles.
The Cathedral has three towers, which in medieval times had tall steeples like those of nearby church of St. Severus (the present spires were built in 19th century). In the central tower is one of the largest bells in the world, the "Maria Gloriosa", which is famed for the beauty of its tone. The fifteen tall windows in the choir are masterpieces of medieval stained glass, unique in Germany in their size and unity of theme. Among the Cathedral's other treasures are the sumptuous Baroque high altar, the finely carved 14th century choir-stalls, the stucco figure of the Virgin and a figure of Wolfram (both ca. 1160), and the tomb of Count von Gleichen and his two wives (mid 13th century).