St. Nicholas' Church

Wismar, Germany

St. Nicholas' Church stands besides one of Germany's oldest manmade waterways, the Frischen Grube, and was dedicated as the church for sailors and fishermen. The 37m high nave is almost the height of the Marienkirche in Lübeck. The protruding northern and southern vestibules that resemble the arms of a transept are also a particular feature of the church. The lavishly adorned southern gable takes a special place in art of brick construction due to its wealth of glazed figured bricks. From St. Nikolai's medieval interior decoration survives a late-thirteenthcentury granite baptismal font and a maritime altarpiece made in the early nineteenthcentury, but the church's interior is chiefly characterized by completely preserved baroque furnishings.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

St.-Nikolai-Kirchhof 15, Wismar, Germany
See all sites in Wismar

Details

Founded: 1381-1460
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

www.wismar.de

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Historic Centre of Wismar (0,5 km)
St. Mary's Church (0,5 km)
St. George's Church (0,6 km)


Schwerin Palace (30,3 km)
Schwerin Cathedral (29,8 km)
Doberan Minster (37,4 km)
Bothmer Palace (21,3 km)
Groß Raden Archaeological Museum (32,3 km)
Rehna Abbey (30,1 km)
Cismar Abbey (45,3 km)
St. George’s Church (57,8 km)
St. Mary’s Church (57,5 km)

User Reviews

Uli Buff (2 years ago)
Etwas für Liebhaber der Geschichte und der Hanse. Man sollte sich mindestens zwei Stunden Zeit nehmen. Typischer hanseatischer Kirchenbau. Sehr gut erklärt. Das besondere ist der Erhaltungszustand. Die Zeit der Bilderstürmer hat diesem Bauwerk nichts angetan. Die Reformation brachte lediglich den Wechsel von katholisch zu evangelisch. Der Grund für das Nichtplündern ist einfach erklärt. In den Hansestädten war die Kirche für das Bauwerk verantwortlich. Die Ausgestaltung oblag den Bürgern der Stadt. Das erklärt die Erhaltung aller Schätze im Inneren der Kirche. Wer ein wenig Wissen mitbringt, kann mit einem erklärenden Rundgang jedes Kind begeistern. Immer wieder gern.
Hendrik Boje (3 years ago)
Impressiv!
reaz saleheen (3 years ago)
Nice
SACHIT VARMA (4 years ago)
A very beautiful church of St. Nicholas. Jut 5 minutes away from the main station and 10 minutes from the port harbour. This church is one of the main tourist attractions of Wismar. It has the same neo-gothic architecture built up in red stone. Inside you can find printed guides in English and German to have a read while you walk around. Has a small souvenir and postcard kiosk inside the church itself.
Tim McGonegle (6 years ago)
Beautiful lofty church with modern brutalist artwork. I prefer the historical aspects more than the modern additions.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

Historic Site of the week

Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.