St. Cecilia's Church, Cologne
St. Cecilia is one of twelve large Romanesque churches in Cologne's old town, whose research and conservation is supported by the Friends Romanesque churches in Cologne. St. Cecilia hosts since 1956 the municipal museum Schnütgen of Medieval Art.
Specifications
In the Hohenstaufen building is a three-aisled basilica today towerless. It has no transept. The south aisle ends with an apse. The north aisle ends, however, in a 1479 applied to replace the original apse sacristy. In the choir of the nave still find frescoes, only, however, are difficult to detect, since it greatly fell in the severe damage in the Second World War affected. The flat wooden ceiling of the nave are groined vault of the aisles to the side. The created in honor of St. Cecilia tympanum - now copy over the north portal, as an original in the possession of the museum - is from 1160 The Franconian arc from the former cloister is a relic of the Ottonian previous building. .
History
The origin of the church building dates back to a company founded in the late 9th century convent of the same name. It was long believed that at this point was the first cathedral. Excavations have this tradition can be ruled out completely. It rather foundations of a rectangular church were found, which probably belonged to the convent. According to the documents the difficult economic situation of the pin in the 10th century Archbishop Brun this bequeathed in 965 bequeathed 50 pounds of silver for the completion of the church building. Around this time rebuilt in the west of the church crypt was first created in 1970 apparently for storage of relics. However, the Ottonian church had to give way to a new Hohenstaufen in the 12th century. The construction differs in its modest design clearly from the other great Romanesque churches in Cologne.
1474 the building was to the pond available to the Augustinian nuns of the monastery Maria laid down. You got the facility of the sacristy and replaced the Romanesque wooden ceiling of the nave by an arch, which was not renewed after the war destruction. Originally belonging to the convent painting " Madonna with the Violet " from the workshop of Stephan Lochner now belongs to the holdings of the archbishop diocese museum. The Collegiate Church of the neighboring convent building was laid by the Convention resolution in the 19th century down. His place was the first hospital in Cologne, St. Cecilia long served as a church. The former main entrance was built with the west facade to the convent demolition also at this time in the Romanesque Revival style new. He is now walled up. 1980 sprayed the Sprayer of Zurich, Harald Naegeli, there 's Totentanz. This work is now under monument protection.
At Christmas and on the anniversary of Saint Cecilia Mass is celebrated in the Church.