GERMANY ~ Speyer Cathedral - UNESCO ~

... Nice view of the world's largest surviving Romanesque church... it is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire... a masterpiece of religious architecture and an impressive building... not just for its sheer size but because of the influence it has had on architecture in Europe... inside it holds a host of treasures, sculptures, frescoes and stained glass windows... plus some of the most important items are the tombs of emperors and kings as it was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.. Thanks a lot Sabine!¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th C.  However in 17th C, the Cathedral (along with the rest of Speyer town) was destroyed by French troops under Louis XIV. It was restored in 18th C only to be destroyed again in Napoleonic Wars in 19th C, after which it was temporarily even used as an army hospital. After all this, in 1815, it was rebuilt under King Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1957, it was restored back to its original medieval glory.

In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Stamps:

Definitive - Flowers 

(Issued 08-06-2017)

EUROPA Stamps - Stories and Myths 

(05-05-2022)