St. Maria Lyskirchen, Cologne, Germany

St. Maria Lyskirchen is the smallest of the twelve Romanesque churches in Cologne. It was founded in 948, and the present building dates from 1210-1220, with some later additions in the Gothic style. The upper parts of the west front were rebuilt in the 19th century. The church is in the form of a three-aisled basilica, with a chancel flanked by two towers, only one of which was constructed to its full height, and an eastern apse. The building received only minor damage during the wars.

The church has a sculptured Romanesque portal, and a cycle of 13th century ceiling paintings. Rediscovered in the 19th century, they are unique in Cologne and show stories from the Old and New Testaments. The church contains the 'Schiffermadonna' (Seaman's Madonna), a wooden statue of 1420. A triptych by Joos van Cleve, with a central panel of the Lamentation, was sold in 1812; a few years later it was replaced with a copy by Benedikt Beckenkamp, which remains in the church.

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Vipin Das (3 years ago)
Small and beautiful church...

Bernd Pelz (4 years ago)
St.Maria in Lyskirchen survived two major catastrophes almost unscathed: In 1784 the Rhine river flooded the church and destroyed most of the interior. During WWII the roof was damaged but not the ceiling with paintings dating back to the 13th century.

Ralf Krob (4 years ago)
The Romanesque, three-aisled gallery basilila was built between 1198 and 1225 as a typical church of the Staufer period. The vaulted frescoes and stained glass windows are well worth seeing. The Seifert organ dates from 1957. A place of silent prayer.

Eugen Safin (5 years ago)
Quiet and peaceful church. Great experience!

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