Seated figure holding a sword, sculpted on main portal of medieval Cathedral of Saint George in Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany. The figure is probably Saint George and, if so, would complement a seated figure of Saint Nicholas, also sculpted on the main portal. This Late Romanesque / Early Gothic cathedral, built in the late 1100s / early 1200s AD, was initially dedicated to two saints, George and Nicholas.
Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany: sculpted figure of seated man holding a sword on main portal of the Cathedral of Saint George (Sankt-Georgs-Dom, Georgsdom or Limburger Dom). Limburg’s Late Romanesque / Early Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the late 1100s / early 1200s AD. The cathedral’s exterior was given back its original exuberant and colourful appearance through painstaking restoration work in the 1960s and ‘70s, with colours determined by traces of original paint. This followed a period during the 1800s when external stonework was laid bare. The cathedral used to feature (1960-1989) on pre-Euro German 1,000 Deutsche Mark banknotes. The cathedral’s predecessor was a castle chapel, first recorded in the early 800s AD. This chapel was demolished and replaced with a basilica which stood for several centuries. Construction of the present cathedral building started around 1190. The new church was dedicated to two saints, George and Nicholas, indicating its dual purpose as a parish church for both Limburg citizens, whose patron saint was Nicholas, and a collegiate church for canons patronised by Saint George. In 1827, a new Roman Catholic bishopric was created with its centre in Limburg and the church was accorded the status of cathedral. Limburg moved up a gear in 1150 when a wooden bridge was constructed across the River Lahn, allowing a long-distance trade route from Cologne to Frankfurt, the Via Publica, to run directly through the settlement. In 1214, Limburg officially became a town. In 1306, the wooden bridge was replaced with a stone bridge, the Alte Lahnbrücke (Old Lahn Bridge), and bridge tolls paid by traveling merchants funded construction of magnificent buildings. Today, Limburg is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Germany.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Cathedral, Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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