St. Lambertus Church, Düsseldorf, Germany

St. Lambertus Church was built in 1206 and enlarged 1288–1394. The church's spire owes its twisted shape to the use of unseasoned timber when it was rebuilt after a lighting strike in 1815. Inside the church the 15th-century tabernacle and splendid Renaissance memorial of Duke Wilhelm V are worth of seeing.

User Reviews

Crowd Capital (2 years ago)
The church is part of historical site and also part of the religious culture here. Find out the meaning of the boy with the fish in his hand and you'd be amazed.

Louis Tay (2 years ago)
Beautiful, serene church with impressive architecture, both on the exterior and interior. The statues/figures are highly detailed and intricate.

Randy Chandra (2 years ago)
Located near the Rhine River in the Altstadt area, this church looks rather intimidating from outside. Worth to visit if you are in the area.

Chris Patsatzakis (2 years ago)
Just another catholic church. Worth visiting if you are at the neighborhood. Nothing special.

Kin Sern Ng (3 years ago)
Beautifully maintained and retained interior of a traditional church. Be mindful to maintain yiur silence while inside the building as it's frequented by zealous disciples.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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Abbey of Saint-Étienne

The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ('Men"s Abbey'), is a former monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne). It is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies" Abbey'), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine.

Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was abbot of Saint-Etienne. Built in Caen stone during the 11th century, the two semi-completed churches stood for many decades in competition. An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the ribbed vault, used for the first time in France. The two abbey churches are considered forerunners of the Gothic architecture. The original Romanesque apse was replaced in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying buttresses. Nine towers and spires were added in the 13th century. The interior vaulting shows a similar progression, beginning with early sexpartite vaulting (using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadipartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

The two monasteries were finally donated by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders, as penalty for their marriage against the Pope"s ruling. William was buried here; Matilda was buried in the Abbaye aux Dames. Unfortunately William"s original tombstone of black marble, the same kind as Matilda"s in the Abbaye aux Dames, was destroyed by the Calvinist iconoclasts in the 16th century and his bones scattered.

As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church. From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the Normandy Landings in 1944, inhabitants of Caen found refuge in the church; on the rooftop there was a red cross, made with blood on a sheet, to show that it was a hospital (to avoid bombings).

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