Metz Cathedral
The Saint- Étienne Cathedral ( German: Stephansdom) in Metz, France in Lorraine was built in 1220-1520 in the Gothic style and is considered one of the finest and largest Gothic church building in France. With more than 41 meters vault height is to Amiens and Beauvais, the third highest Gothic cathedral; the surface of its stained glass windows, with about 6500 m², the largest in a French cathedral, hence the name " La lanterne du Bon Dieu " - German: " The Light of God." It serves as the episcopal church of the diocese of Metz. The cultural monument was classified as monument historique in 1930 and, as such, a protected monument.
- 4.1 Main organ
- 4.2 choir organ
- 4.3 Renaissance organ
History
The Stephan Shrine (5th - 10th century)
Metz, an ancient Gallic city, became a bishop in the 3rd century. As one can learn of Gregory of Tours from a section of the history of the Franks ( Decem libri historiarum ) ( lib. II, c. 6), a shrine consecrated to St. Stephan ( oratorio beati Stephani ) was the only building in the city, the plundered by the Huns on April 7, 451 escaped.
The wonderful discovery of the relics of Erzmärtyrers in Jerusalem in 415 was followed by a revival of the cult of the saints in the West. Several other French cathedrals are also dedicated to him (Agen, Auxerre, Besançon, Bourges, Cahors, Chalons-en -Champagne, Limoges, Meaux, Sens, Toul, Toulouse ) and dip mostly to the 5th century. Therefore, one can assume that the shrine at the time of predation by Attila was relatively new.
Against 784 Paul the Deacon wrote a Benedictine from Lombardy, who was at the court of Charlemagne, a history of the bishops of Metz, the younger Bishop Chrodegang financially helped by the Pippin to realize work on altar canopy, pulpit, chancel and ambulatory.
The Romanesque basilica
Bishop Dietrich I. prompted 965-984 the conversion of the simple shrine with the financial support of the Emperor Otto I and Otto II. The new basilica was completed under his successor, Dietrich II of Luxembourg and consecrated 1040. The construction was because of the location of the building site on the outskirts of the city and on the slope to the banks of the Mosel not, as usual, always faces east, but had to be turned more than 50 ° to the north, so that its major axis lies in a north - northeasterly direction. 1186, the Collegiate Church of Notre -Dame-de -la -Ronde was built on the west side of the Ottonian basilica, which ran at right angles to the nave of the cathedral, so that the choir the small collegiate now revealed to the southeast. Although the two churches wall - to - wall stood between them was no connection.
The Gothic Cathedral
Around 1220 begins after excitation by Bishop Konrad III. Scharfenberg of the construction of the new Gothic Cathedral, which was built on the plan of the Romanesque predecessor church. From 1220 to 1380 began with the construction of the nave and the two towers built up to a height of 45 meters. 1359, the entire nave was roofed, 1360-1380 was the vault of the nave.
After three centuries, the cathedral was completed in 1520. On April 11, 1552 was ordained. In Metz, Valentin Busch delivered from 1521-39 Strasbourg Cathedral stained glass windows that follow the works of the 1392 deceased Hermann von Münster worthy.
After completion of the cathedral the dividing wall to now also gotisierten Collegiate was dismantled. For this reason, the cathedral has no western main portal, but only two side portals below the two towers. The unusual location of the towers can be explained this way: They mark the end of the nave of the cathedral, where it encounters the older chapel. As the main portal to the angular scale to the main axis of the church door served towards the end of the south-eastern nave to the Place d'Armes.
In the 18th century a Baroque portal was inserted under the large rosette in the West work of Jacques -François Blondel, which joined the Cathedral architecturally with the surrounding baroque piazza.
19th and 20th centuries
After a major fire that broke out in 1877 after a fireworks display and the cathedral heavily damaged, the Metz Cathedral by cathedral architect Paul Tornow was transformed significantly in the last quarter of the 19th century, especially a hitherto non-existent western main portal in the Gothic Revival style, was built, for which the portal of Blondel was demolished. Some of the new robed figures carrying the facial features of his contemporaries, it was, inter alia, Kaiser Wilhelm II, immortalized as the prophet Daniel. Tornows successor Wilhelm Schmitz was responsible for the restoration of the Dominneren and the refurbishing of the Metz Cathedral ( 1906-1919 ).
In the 20th century, some glass windows by Marc Chagall designed and built, and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel were equipped with windows by Jacques Villon.
Bells
In 1412 it was decided that a bell that was already ordered already in 1381 to install on the south tower of the Cathedral. It was poured in 1418 for the first time. In 1479 it was re-cast, then again renewed in 1605 for the last time. The bell, called Mutte, weighs 11 tons and is 2.32 m in diameter. It sounds in F -2.
Organs
In the cathedral are a total of three organs: a main organ, a choir organ and a small very remarkable Renaissance organ.
Main organ
The main organ of the cathedral was built in 1970 by the company Haerpfer & Erman. It has 27 stops on two manuals and pedal. The Spieltrakturen are mechanical, the Registertrakturen electro. The disposition is as follows.
- Couplers: II / I, I / P, II / P
- Accessories: 1 free combination, Tutti, Appel of anches Grand Orgue, Appel of anches Récit, Appel of anches Pédale
Choir organ
The choir organ was built in 1862 by the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé- Coll and 1934 and restructured in 1980 by Haerpfer and has 30 stops on two manuals and pedal. The Spieltrakturen are electric, the Registertrakturen electro. The instrument has the following disposition:
- Pairing: Normal Couplers: II / I, I / P, II / P
- Suboktavkoppeln: II / I
- Superoktavkoppekn: II / I
Renaissance organ
The Renaissance organ dates back to an instrument of the organ builder Jean de Treves ( John of Promsfeldt ) from Verdun in 1537 had been built. This historic instrument a few parts of the organ case are still present. The organ has been rebuilt several times, and in 1936 reconstructed by the organ-builder Frédéric Haerpfer, and again in 1981 by the organ builder Marc Garnier. The instrument has 10 stops on two manuals and pedal today. The play and Registertrakturen are mechanical.
- Couplers: II / I, I / P