CHURCHES OF TOURNAI

THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY, ALSO KNOWN AS NOTRE DAME OF TOURNAI.  CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN THE 12TH CENTURY;  IT'S 3 STYLES OF DESIGN AND 5 BELL TOWERS MAKE IT A UNIQUE BUILDING EVEN AMONG CHURCHES.  IN AUGUST OF 1999 THE CHURCH WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY A TORNADO.   WORK HAS BEEN ONGOING EVER SINCE AND FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, THERE IS STILL A LOT TO DO.

ON THIS ACTUAL SITE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PLACES OF WORSHIP - THE FIRST IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN AS EARLY AS 761 AD.   PRIOR TO THAT IT IS BELIEVED THAT A PAGAN TEMPLE EXISTED HERE.   ONE OF THE 8TH CENTURY CHURCHES WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND BY VIKINGS.   A FIRE DESTROYED THE NEXT CHURCH IN 1060 WHICH WAS REBUILT IN 1089.  THAT CHURCH BECAME A REFUGE FOR THE PLAGUE-STRICKEN POPULATION AROUND TOURNAI.   IN SEPTEMBER OF 1090 THE BISHOP LED A PROCESSION THROUGH THE CATHEDRAL TO HONOR OUR LADY WHO THEY BELIEVED CURED MANY OF THE SICK PATRONS WHO PRAYED THERE.   THE GREAT PROCESSION HAS TAKEN PLACE EVERY YEAR SINCE, EXCEPT 1559 WHEN THE CALVINISTS VIOLENTLY INTERRUPTED THE TRADITION.

THE INTERIOR IS VERY PLAIN.   NOT SURE IF IT WAS ALWAYS
LIKE THIS OR IF WAS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGE DONE
BY THE TORNADO.

AN ALTER REMOVED FOR REPAIRS

PHOTO & HISTORY DISPLAY WHILE THE SANCTUARY IS INACCESSIBLE.

BEHIND THE PARTITION THE RECONSTRUCTION CONTINUES.

THIS CHURCH IS THE CHURCH ST. QUENTIN DE TOURNAI;  THE NAVE DATES FROM THE 12TH CENTURY AND THE TOWER WAS BUILT IN THE 13TH CENTURY.  IT IS THOUGHT THAT CHURCH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A CEMETERY THAT WAS ON THE SITE OF THE CURRENT GRAND PLACE AREA.

THESE TWO STATUES WERE CARVED BY A LOCAL TOURNAI SCUPTOR IN 1428.  

WHEN YOU ARE AS OLD AS THIS CHURCH I GUESS SOME CROOKED
LINES CAN BE FORGIVEN.

UNUSUAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS;   MADE OF COPPER WITH AN AFRICAN SETTING

COLOGNE CATHEDRAL, GERMANY

THE COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS THE MOST VISITED LANDMARK IN GERMANY, ATTRACTING 20,000 VISITORS EVERY DAY.   CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1248 ANDHALTED IN 1473.   WORK RESTARTED IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND FINALLY COMPLETED IN 1880.  IT IS THE LARGEST GOTHIC CHURCH IN NORTHERN EUROPE AND BELIEVE ME AS YOU EXIT THE TRAIN STATION AND GLANCE OUT ONTO THE SQUARE, THE CHURCH LOOMS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC BEAST!   THE PHOTOGRAPHS DON'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB SHOWING THE SCALE OF IT BUT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL TAKE MY WORD .

A LITTLE IDEA OF THE SCALE.

THE CATHEDRAL WAS NEEDED TO HOUSE THE REMAINS OF THE THREE KINGS WHICH WERE BROUGHT BACK FROM THE CONQUERED CITY OF MILAN.  THE RELICS MADE THE CATHEDRAL ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PILGRIMAGE DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE.  CONSTRUCTION WAS HALTED IN THE 1600s DUE TO FINANCIAL ISSUES AS WELL AS A LACK OF INTEREST.   FOR 300 YEARS IT WAS A LARGE BUILDING WITH ONE TOWER COMPLETE, A SECOND TOWER UNFINISHED.  INTEREST WAS HIGH IN THE EARLY 1800s AND WORK BEGAN AGAIN IN 1842 AND WAS SPEEDILY FINISHED IN 38 YEARS.

THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE DURING WORLD WAR II HOWEVER IT WAS SURPRISINGLY LITTLE RELATIVE TO THE OVERALL FLATTENING OF THE REST OF COLOGNE.  TODAY WEATHER AND THE ENVIRONMENT ARE IT'S BIGGEST ENEMY.  THERE ARE 80 STONEMASONS AND SPECIALISTS WORKING ON THE BUILDING CONSTANTLY TO KEEP UP WITH THE RENOVATIONS.

POST WWII COLOGNE.   UNBELIEVABLE DESTRUCTION.

PIECES OF THE EXTERIOR THAT WERE EITHER REMOVED OR FELL DURING THE WAR