St. Nicholas' Church, Meran, Italy

The Church of St. Nicholas was first mentioned in 1220 and was expanded over time in the 14th century before taking its final shape in the year 1465. The architectural style is mainly Gothic.

The church consists of three naves. It has well-preserved stain glass windows, and a large rose window over a pointed arched portal, a number of wooden sculptures of saints and paintings that date from different periods. Of particular importance is the large altar and pulpit.

Outside is a tall clock tower with a sundial. Old tombstones line the walls and various paintings from the life of Jesus Christ.

Behind the church is St. Barbara's Chapel. The layout of the chapel is octagonal. It was built by the architect Hans von Burghausen in 1450, who also designed the Hospital Church. The basement served as the ossuary while the main floor was used for religious ceremonies and prayers. It features a number of wooden pews and a wooden Gothic altar, flanked by two altars from the Baroque period. Outside the entrance has a painting depicting Saint Christopher.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

Lisetta Bortolin (2 years ago)
La chiesa di San Nicolò è un opera straordinaria d'arte antica. Da visitare soffermandosi a meditare si troverà un benessere interiore.

Marco Passerini (3 years ago)
Incerte le origini, i primi documenti la fanno risalire circa al 1220, la bella chiesa gotica a tre navate, o duomo di Merano, si trova in pieno centro storico della città, a un lato del famoso viale pedonale dei portici. Il duomo ha subito vari passaggi di costruzione, il solo campanile richiese quasi 300 anni, il portale gotico è stato realizzato nel XV secolo. E' un luogo di culto, ma anche di interesse artistico, per chi passa da questa bellissima città vale sicuramente la pena fermarsi per una visita.

John Carey (3 years ago)
Beautiful large church dedicated to patron saint of Merano. Airy and elegant. Beautiful stained glass windows and an impressive organ. Well worth a visit.

Sergio Messina (3 years ago)
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Marco Santoni (4 years ago)
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Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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