Author: Daniel

We move on to Strasbourg, the heart of Alsace. And the heart of Strasbourg is the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Strasbourg.

Though not as well-known as the other Notre Dame in France, the seat of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg is a marvel in its own right, one of the finest examples of Rayonnant Gothic architecture, if the kids at Wikipedia are correct. No less an expert than Victor Hugo described it as “a skillful combination of monumental size and delicateness.” 

Ground was broken on the cathedral in 1015, but it was only completed more than four hundred years later. It extends more than 460 feet above the city, which made it the world’s tallest building from 1647 to 1874. 

Of all the places I visited in France, my favorite might have been the tiny medieval village of Eguisheim.

Today, we focus on Saints Pierre-et-Paul Church. As is the case in many French villages in the Alsace, Saints Pierre-et-Paul towers over the town. Here, that makes it the perfect spot for storks to nest, as you can see from one of the photos.

But the most inspiring sight here was the vierge ouvrante, or Opening Virgin, a specific type of statue of Mary unique to France, Germany and Spain between the 13th and 16th centuries. As described by Aleteia, “during most of the year, they looked like ‘regular’ statuettes, made of wood and ivory. But on certain occasions, such as Marian or Trinitarian festivities, they would be opened, revealing a work of art within the work of art.”

At Saints Pierre-et-Paul, the Opening Virgin is a polychrome wood sculpture. It’s permanently half-opened revealing some of the art inside. I can’t quite explain why, but it’s easily one of the most mesmerizing pieces of religious artwork I’ve ever seen.

I spent the past week in Germany, Switzerland and France on a business trip turned getaway with my wife. I’ll highlight some of the more interesting churches I visited along the way.

We’ll start today with a grab bag of sorts, just random photos from Germany and France.

Our adventure began in Buhl, home of St. Peter and Paul. Alas, it was too late to step inside. The church towers majestically over the village.

In the wonderfully named Baden Baden, we took in Stiftskirche and Alt-Katholische (Old Catholic) churches.

Finally, we ventured into France (which we’ll cover in more detail over the next few days), bringing us to the charming village of Riquewihr to peer inside Katholische St.-Margareten-Kirche. And a day-long trip of Alsace culminated with a visit to Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, which naturally included a chapel.

Once again, son Ian has one-upped me.

Today, as he continued his stay in Columbia, he toured Cundinamerica and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira.

The Salt Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church built in a salt mine 200 meters underground. It’s a pilgrimage site and considered one of the country’s great architectural works.