Gross St Martins Cologne

Cologne is a city of wonders, full of artistic monuments and has some of the most beautiful churches in the world.. For those who are interested in German and Rhenish Romanesque ,Cologne is like heaven to them. Rich with sculptures, carvings, relics and art they present the visitors a scene to behold.

In 1985, Cologne celebrated the Year of Romanesque Churches: the twelve churches which severely damaged during the war were restored and opened to the public. The twelve churches are as follows:

  -   St. Andreas
  -   St. Apostein
  -   St. Cacilien
  -   St.Georg
  -   St. Gereon
  -   St. Kunibert
  -   St. Maria im Kapitol
  -   St. Maria In Lyskirchen
  -   Gross St. Martin
  -   St. Pantaleon
  -   St. Severin
  -   St.Ursula

Close to the Rhine, to the south of Cologne Cathedral magnificently stands Gross St. Martin, one of the twelve Romanesque churches. It was founded in 960 on a former island of the Rhine as a collegiate church , later transformed into a Benedectine monastery.It is the traditional focus of Aldstadt .

It is separated from the river Rhine by the small but beautiful Rhiengarten park. Until the 19th century ,the mighty centeral tower of Gross Martin ,together with the incomplete Cathedral tower was emblem of Cologne.

The beginning of Gothic architectural style is vividly visible in the horizontally structured Romanesque construction forms.

The main features of the church are as follows:

  -   the nave with a height of 25 meters.

  -   richly articulated walls.

  -   the archeological finds from the first and second century A.D