Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral (, , officially , English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year. At , the cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church of any kind in the world. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was halted in the years around 1560, unfinished. Attempts to complete the construction began around 1814 but the project was not properly funded until the 1840s. The edifice was completed to its original medieval plan in 1880. The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the larg ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization.Gerald O'Collins, O'Collins, p. v (preface). The church consists of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites#Churches, ''sui iuris'' (autonomous) churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and Eparchy, eparchies List of Catholic dioceses (structured view), around the world, each overseen by one or more Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishops. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the Papal supremacy, chief pastor of the church. The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Tallest Church Buildings
This list of tallest church buildings ranks Church (building), church buildings by height. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian church buildings were often the History of the world's tallest buildings, world's tallest buildings. From 1311, when the spire of Lincoln Cathedral surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, until the Washington Monument was completed in 1884, a succession of church buildings held this title. *The tallest church building in the world is the Ulm Minster (161.5 m), the main Lutheran congregation in Ulm, Germany. *The tallest domed church building, as well as the tallest Catholic Church, Catholic, is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (158 m) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. *The tallest cathedral as well as the tallest church building with two steeples is Cologne Cathedral (157.4 m) in Cologne, Germany. *The tallest domed cathedral as well as the tallest Eastern Orthodox Churc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. For Catholics and Lutherans, a sacrarium is "special sink used for the reverent disposal of sacred substances. This sink has a cover, a basin, and a special pipe and drain that empty directly into the earth, rather than into the sewer system" (USCCB, Built of Living Stones, 236). Precious or sacred items are disposed of, when possible, by returning them to the ground. They are in some cases used to dispose of materials used in the sacraments and water from liturgical ablutions. They are found in Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and a similar vessel is used in Eastern Orthodox churches. History The ''piscina'' is a Latin word originally applied to a fish pond, and later used for natural or artificial pools for bathing, and a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Baptistery
In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistery may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral, and provided with an altar as a chapel. In the early early Christianity, Church, the catechumens were instructed and the sacrament of baptism was administered in the baptistery. Design The sacramental importance and sometimes architectural splendour of the baptistery reflect the historical importance of baptism to Christians. Beginning in the fourth century, baptisteries in Italy were often designed with an octagonal plan. The octagonal plan of the Lateran Baptistery, the first structure expressly built as a baptistery, provided a widely followed model. The baptistery might be twelve-sided, or even circular as at Pisa. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wisigard
Wisigard ( 510 – 540) or ''Wisigardis'' was a Frankish Queen by marriage to Theudebert. Life The life of Wisigard is slightly known by Gregory of Tours's ''Historia Francorum''.Gregor of Tours, Historiae III,20, III,27. She was daughter of Wacho, king of the Lombards and grew up in the middle Danube region. After an abnormally long term of engagement of seven years, Wisigard married Theudebert I, Merovingian king of Austrasia. Around 531 Theuderich I, father of Theudebert I, had arranged the engagement for political reasons. But because of a liaison Theudebert had with a Roman woman named Deuteria, the union with Wisigard fell through. Anew for political reasons Theudebert abandoned Deoteria and finally married Wisigard in 537 or 538. Shortly after their wedding, she died. Burial site In 1959 a very rich decorated grave of a Frankish woman was found by Otto Doppelfeld in the Cologne Cathedral. The woman had been buried with her precious jewelry and in a traditional costume ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Theudebert I
Theudebert I () (–548) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 533 to his death in 548. He was the son of Theuderic I and the father of Theudebald. Sources Most of what we know about Theudebert comes from the ''Histories'' or ''History of the Franks'' written by Gregory of Tours in the second half of the sixth century. In addition, we have diplomatic correspondence composed at the Austrasian court (known as the '' Austrasian Letters''), the poems of Venantius Fortunatus, an account from Procopius' work and a small number of other sources. History During his father's reign, the young Theudebert had shown himself to be an able warrior. In 516 he defeated a Danish army under King Chlochilaich (Hygelac of ''Beowulf'') after it had raided northern Gaul. His reputation was further enhanced by a series of military campaigns in Septimania against the Visigoths. Upon his father's death, Theudebert had to fight both his uncles Childebert and Clotaire I to inherit his father's kingd ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ambon (liturgy)
The ambon or ambo (, meaning "pulpit"; Slavonic: ''amvón'') in its modern usage is a projection coming out from the soleas (the walkway in front of the iconostasis) in an Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic church. The ambon stands directly in front of the Holy Doors. It may be either rounded or square and has one, two, or three steps leading up to it. History Originally the ambon was an elevated platform, somewhat variable in location within the church (but typically found toward the center of the nave, or somewhat forward from there), where the scriptures were read during the Divine Liturgy. It is still so used for celebrations of the Liturgy of St James. It is a development from the bimah in the Jewish synagogue. In the Russian Orthodox Church, during Hierarchical services, the bishop will stand upon a raised platform ( ''kafedra'') in the center of the nave like the bimah of old. Originally used in both the East and West, the structure has alm ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Merovingian Dynasty
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gallo-Romans under their rule. They conquered most of Gaul, defeating the Visigoths (507) and the Burgundians (534), and also extended their rule into Raetia (537). In Germania, the Alemanni, Bavarii and Saxons accepted their lordship. The Merovingian realm was the largest and most powerful of the states of western Europe following the breakup of the empire of Theodoric the Great. The dynastic name, medieval Latin or ("sons of Merovech"), derives from an unattested Frankish language, Frankish form, akin to the attested Old English , with the final -''ing'' being a typical Germanic languages, Germanic patronymic suffix. The name derives from Salian Franks, Salian King Merovech, who is at the center of many legends. Unl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maternus Of Cologne
:''Saint Maternus of Milan was bishop of Milan''. Maternus (c. 285–September 14, 315 AD), also known as Maternus II, was the first known bishop of Cologne, reportedly also the third bishop of Trier, and founder of the diocese of Tongeren. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. The Basilica of Saint Maternus in Walcourt, Belgium was allegedly founded by him. Life According to Eusebius, Bishop Maternus was active during the period of the Donatist controversy. In May 313, Maternus and other bishops were summoned to Rome by Emperor Constantine to consult regarding the status of Bishop Caecilianus of Carthage. He also took part in the Synod of Arles in 314. While a legend grew in Trier concerning Maternus, a popular cult developed in Cologne. The Bollandists and others date his Episcopate to the fourth century. He was the first Apostle of Alsace, and successfully promoted the spread of Christianity in that Province and in Western Germany. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |