Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Cologne, Germany

The Basilica of the Holy Apostles (Basilika St. Aposteln) is one of the twelve Romanesque churches built in Cologne in that period. Its glory is the domed clover leaf chancel, which was built around 1200. The story of how today’s building originated begins in the 11th century.

At that time the church was on the road in the direction of Aachen, directly ahead of the roman city walls at the western main gate.

In the 13th century the church was significantly enlarged. In addition to the clover leaf chancel there was also the octagonal dome above the crossing, which was added at this time, which gives St. Aposteln its monumental, almost Byzantine appearance. The old structures were retained and, in spite of the building modifications, were copied and integrated into the new construction project.

The sequential and complementary building phases can be well identified in the St. Aposteln church. An extraordinary and controversial combination of historical and modern art is shown with a glance into the choral arches: the modern paintings by Herrmann Gottfried from the years 1988 until 1994 always provoke a host of diverse opinions.

References:

Cologne Tourism

User Reviews

Glenn Johnson (2 months ago)
Never fails to impress. Well worth a visit, and if you feeling fit a trip to the top, the views over Koln are fantastic

Ravi Lal (2 years ago)
Very peaceful and well kept church. The church was closed at the foyer. Maybe because it was all set for a Christmas service. However, you have look through the gates and admire the architecture and art. We saw people praying and lighting candles. This place gives hope and peace to those who seek it. We spent about 15 minutes here. You do not have to pay any fees, but to respect the place.

Mat Bienczyk (2 years ago)
Very neat looking church from the outside, very close to the Neumarkt. Plenty of area around it, with interesting spires going upwards, and tall glass walls.

Oliwia R (2 years ago)
Beautiful romanesque church. There are works being done which take away from the experience but overall a very beautiful and special. When we went there wasn't anyone else (we went at noon) which was nice also

Andrea Bowes (2 years ago)
We came upon St Aposteln unexpectedly on our way somewhere else and wow! It's beautiful. Unfortunately they were just closed (between 1 and 3) so we couldn't go inside but we'll be sure to come back.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Basilica of the Holy Apostles

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