DE-3226000 The crypt of Speyer Cathedral

Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer) in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis") and St. Stephen is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer. Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica in 1925. 

It was begun in 1030 under Conrad II. The imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica of red sandstone is described as the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries".  The cathedral was the burial site for Salian, Staufer and Habsburg emperors and kings and the cathedral is regarded as a symbol of imperial power. It is to this day one of the finest Romanesque monuments.

In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire".

This postcard shows the crypt of Speyer Cathedral.  The alternate colours of yellow and rust is a typical design of the Salian and Staufer era.

Over the centuries, crypts developed from tiny chambers into large semi-subterranean and very articulated hall crypts, which became standard forms in Italy and Germany, sometimes extending under the transepts as well as the chancel. The monumental crypt of Speyer Cathedral, consecrated in 1041, is the largest Romanesque columned hall crypt in Europe, with an area of 850 m² (9,149 sq ft) and a height of approx. 7 m. Forty-two groin-vaults are supported on twenty cylindrical columns with simple cushion capitals. The sandstone blocks alternate in colour between yellow and rust, a typical design of the Salian and Staufer era, and providing the context of the colour-scheme of the 19th century façade.
 

This postcard was received from Sabine (9 June 2014) Postcrossing.