St. Michael's Church

Fulda, Germany

St. Michael's Church in Fulda is considered to be the oldest Holy Sepulchre church in Germany, built in the Carolingian architectural style (Pre-Romanesque) by the abbot Eigil in the years 820-822. It served as a burial chapel to Fulda monastery founded in 744, which was one of the prominent cultural centres of the early Middle Ages. St. Michael stands in the neighbourhood of Fulda cathedral, and the architect was probably the monk Racholf (d. 824).

The rotunda and crypt remain preserved from this time. In the 10th and 11th century, the church was extended from the rotunda, and a west tower was built. In 1618 the roof over the rotunda was rebuilt with a conical roof, and in 1715-1716 a chapel was added to the north side. Wall paintings in the interior date from the 11th century.

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Address

Michaelsberg 1, Fulda, Germany
See all sites in Fulda

Details

Founded: 820-822 AD
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Part of The Frankish Empire (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Fulda Cathedral (0,1 km)
Fulda Residence (0,3 km)
Fulda Abbey (0,1 km)
Frauenberg Abbey (0,7 km)


Aura Abbey (49,2 km)

User Reviews

I R (2 years ago)
Romantic.
Flor Garcia (2 years ago)
Very interesting church from the 800’s Carolingian style architecture. Mass Sundays at 7 o’clock
Flor Garcia (2 years ago)
Very interesting church from the 800’s Carolingian style architecture. Mass Sundays at 7 o’clock
Justin Bunch (3 years ago)
As one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Germany, the Church of St. Michael is a beautiful example of 11th century architecture. The church rotunda is already fairly unique, based one the holy sepulcher in Jerusalem, as is the cathedral in Aachen. The capitals and frescos point to its medieval past. Make sure to visit the crypt which dates to 820, one of the oldest pieces of architecture in Germany.
Justin Bunch (3 years ago)
As one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Germany, the Church of St. Michael is a beautiful example of 11th century architecture. The church rotunda is already fairly unique, based one the holy sepulcher in Jerusalem, as is the cathedral in Aachen. The capitals and frescos point to its medieval past. Make sure to visit the crypt which dates to 820, one of the oldest pieces of architecture in Germany.
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Trinity Sergius Lavra

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and a popular site of pilgrimage and tourism. It is the most important working Russian monastery and a residence of the Patriarch. This religious and military complex represents an epitome of the growth of Russian architecture and contains some of that architecture’s finest expressions. It exerted a profound influence on architecture in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, was founded in 1337 by the monk Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius achieved great prestige as the spiritual adviser of Dmitri Donskoi, Great Prince of Moscow, who received his blessing to the battle of Kulikov of 1380. The monastery started as a little wooden church on Makovets Hill, and then developed and grew stronger through the ages.

Over the centuries a unique ensemble of more than 50 buildings and constructions of different dates were established. The whole complex was erected according to the architectural concept of the main church, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), where the relics of St. Sergius may be seen.

In 1476 Pskovian masters built a brick belfry east of the cathedral dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The church combines unique features of early Muscovite and Pskovian architecture. A remarkable feature of this church is a bell tower under its dome without internal interconnection between the belfry and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, echoing the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin, was erected between 1559 and 1585. The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral were painted in 1684. At the north-western corner of the Cathedral, on the site of the western porch, in 1780 a vault containing burials of Tsar Boris Godunov and his family was built.

In the 16th century the monastery was surrounded by 6 meters high and 3,5 meters thick defensive walls, which proved their worth during the 16-month siege by  Polish-Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Trouble. They were later strengthened and expanded.

After the Upheaval of the 17th century a large-scale building programme was launched. At this time new buildings were erected in the north-western part of the monastery, including infirmaries topped with a tented church dedicated to Saints Zosima and Sawatiy of Solovki (1635-1637). Few such churches are still preserved, so this tented church with a unique tiled roof is an important contribution to the Lavra.

In the late 17th century a number of new buildings in Naryshkin (Moscow) Baroque style were added to the monastery.

Following a devastating fire in 1746, when most of the wooden buildings and structures were destroyed, a major reconstruction campaign was launched, during which the appearance of many of the buildings was changed to a more monumental style. At this time one of the tallest Russian belfries (88 meters high) was built.

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In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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