Monolithic church

A church is a rock out of or into the natural rock battered church. In the rock-hewn churches is also spoken of cave churches.

History

Many rock churches can be traced back to Christian hermit who were under rock walls shelter from rain and wild animals. In later times, these barriers have been eroded by devout followers. While the existence of cave churches is already in use for the Christian Antiquity ( St. Peter 's Grotto in ancient Syria or the early cave churches in Goreme, Cappadocia ), found caves and rock-hewn churches in Europe and Africa, but only in the course of the Middle Ages dissemination.

Examples

Among the most famous monuments of this kind include the rock-hewn churches in the cave dwellings of Matera in southern Italy (eg San Pietro Barisano or Santa Maria dell ' Idris and San Giovanni), hundreds of cave churches in the tuff of Cappadocia and eleven monolithic rock-hewn churches in the Ethiopian pilgrimage Lalibela, the equally as Goreme in Turkey were declared a UNESCO World heritage Site.

For Western Europe, especially the medieval south-west France rock churches of Saint- Émilion, Rocamadour, Peyre, Aubeterre -sur -Dronne, Vals, Haute -Isle and Gurat are emphasized.

Other striking examples are the abbey church in südgeorgischen Vardzia (12th century), the orthodox rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo in Russian in Bulgaria (13th - 14th century) or the cave churches in today's Russian Voronezh Oblast (for example Diwnogorje ) dar. Closely related to Rock and cave churches are Christian cave monasteries, including the world heritage Site, russian Orthodox Kiev-Pechersk monastery from the 11th century.

Based on the medieval predecessors and modern rock and cave churches in the 20th century emerged, including the whipped in granite rocks Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki (Finland, 1969), the rock church of St. Michael in Raron ( Switzerland ) and the Salt Cathedral in Wieliczka Salt Mine (Poland) and Zipaquirá (Colombia, 1954 /1999).

Special cases

Occasionally, churches that are built on a prominent rock, called the rock church, including for example, the rock church of Idar- Oberstein or that of Lüderitz, which does not correspond to the usual definition.

Also finished in 1957, underground Basilica of St. Pius X. in Lourdes is to be mentioned in this context.