Limburg an der Lahn Travel Tip:
Limburg Cathedral

Limburg Cathedral

The Catholic Cathedral of Limburg, also known as Georgsdom or Limburger Dom after its dedication to Saint George, is located above the old town of Limburg. Its high location on a rock above the Lahn provides its visibility from far away. The building is one of the most accomplished buildings of the late Romanesque style. The first church on the Limburger Rock was built in 910 by Konrad Kurzbold. Inside today's cathedral, the outline of the former church still can be found. According to estimates, construction of the current cathedral began about 1200. The consecration was in 1235 by Theoderich von Wied, the archbishop of Trier.

The interior is covered in medieval frescoes dating from 1220 to 1235. They are magnificent and important survivals, but time has not been terribly kind to them - they were whitewashed over in the Baroque period (1749) and uncovered and repainted with a heavy hand in the Romantic period (1870s) before finally being restored more sensitively in the 1980s. In the nave, the frescoes in the the blind arcades depict the Twelve Apostles as well as Old Testament figures and Sybils. The corners of the triforium are decorated with the personified virtues.

The church is home to two real gems of medieval sculpture. The first is a Late Romanesque baptismal font (c.1230) in the Chapel of St. Erasmus in the south aisle. Look for a kissing pair adorning one of the feet. The second sculpural treasure is the tomb of Konrad Kurzbold, founder of the collegiate church (910 AD), in the north transept. The sculptures on the six supports date from the 11th century and depict four comical clerics along with a lion and a bear symbolizing strength. The tomb slab dates from the 13th century and features an effigy of Konrad in the court costume of that period. Other notable works of art in the cathedral include the Late Gothic tabernacle (1496) on a pillar of the nave and the Late Gothic rood cross (c.1500) above the high altar.

Down Domstrasse a few steps is the Diözesanmuseum, which contains several notable religious treasures. Highlights include the Staurothek, a cross-shaped Byzantine reliquary brought back from the Crusades by a local knight and the 11th-century lead reliquary from the high altar of the Limburger Dom's predecessor church.

Hours: Cathedral open daily. Treasury: Mid-March to mid-November, Tue-Sat 10-1 & 2-5pm, Sun 11-5pm.

[ Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limburg_Cathedral ]