AACHEN CATHEDRAL

AACHEN IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF GERMANY, JUST NEXT TO THE BORDER OF BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS.  THE AACHEN CATHEDRAL IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.   THE MAIN ENTRANCE DOORS ARE MADE OF BRONZE. 

SO MUCH GOLD WAS USED IN THE BUILDING OF THIS CATHEDRAL THAT MY CAMERA HAD A HARD TIME FOCUSING!   WHEN YOU ENTER THE CHURCH THERE IS A SIGN ASKING THAT YOU PAY ONE EURO SO YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES WITH YOUR OWN CAMERA.  BIT OF A SCAM...BUT I COUGHED UP A EURO....A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE!    THIS CHURCH IS THE FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR CHARLEMAGNE WHEN HE DIED IN 814.  HIS REMAINS ARE KEPT IN THE SHRINE OF CHARLEMAGNE AT THE FAR END OF THE CHOIR.  BETWEEN 936 - 1531 THERE WERE 30 KINGS AND 12 QUEENS ANOINTED  CROWNED AND ENTHRONED HERE.

SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES THE CHURCH HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE, ON PAR WITH JERUSALEM & ROME.  IT HAS TAKEN PLACE EVERY 7 YEARS SINCE 1349.  THE NEXT PILGRIMAGE WILL BE IN 2014.

OUR DEAR LADY OF AACHEN from THE 14th CENTURY.  DRESSED IN NEARLY 40 GARMENTS

THE PULPIT OF EMPEROR HENRY II - MADE BEFORE 1014;  IT IS DECORATED WITH ANTIQUE BOWLS, IVORY CARVINGS, CHESS FIGURES AND RELIEFS OF THE EVANGELISTS.  ORIGINALLY PLACED IN THE OCTAGON IT WAS MOVED IN 1414 WHEN THE GOTHIC CHOIR HAD BEEN FINISHED.

THIS OCTAGON BUILDING, c. 800;  IT IS ONE OF THE FIRST CUPULAS TO BE CONSTRUCTED NORTH OF THE ALPS.  THE "BARBAROSSA CHANDELIER WAS BUILT IN 1165 AND IT WAS A GIFT FROM EMPEROR FREDERICK I. 

THE SHRINE OF ST. MARY (1220-1239) CONTAINS THE 4 GREAT AACHEN RELICS.  EVERY 7 YEARS THEY ARE TAKEN OUT AND PUT ON DISPLAY.  THE RELICS ARE THE APPAREL OF THE VIRGIN MARY, THE SO-CALLED SWADDLING CLOTHES AND THE LOINCLOTH OF CHRIST AND THE DECAPITATION CLOTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.  SINCE 1239 THEY ARE KEPT INSIDE THIS PRECIOUS SHRINE.

RADIANT MADONNA, A CARVING MADE IN 1524.  THE TWO-SIDED MADONNA WITH CHILD IS SURROUNDED BY RAYS OF LIGHT. 

THE ORIGINAL GOTHIC STAINED GLASS WINDOWS WERE DESTROYED DURING
WORLD WAR II.  THESE WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED IN 1951.

OUDE KERK & NIEUWE KERK; DELFT, THE NETHERLANDS

THIS IS OUDE KERK, OLD CHURCH.  A GOTHIC PROTESTANT CHURCH.  IT WAS BUILT IN THE 14TH CENTURY BUT OF COURSE MANY RENOVATIONS AND REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS DUE TO A FIRE IN THE CITY IN 1536, HARSH WEATHER AND A GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION IN 1654.   THE 75 METER TOWER LEANS ABOUT 2 METERS FROM VERTICAL.  IT IS THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE NEED TO MOVE THE CANAL OUT OF THE WAY DURING CONSTRUCTION.  THE TOWER HAS BEEN STABILIZED AND IT IS CLOSELY MONITORED.

MAIN ORGAN BY BATZ-WITTE, 1857

THERE WAS A DEVASTATING FIRE IN THE CHURCH IN 1921.  AT THAT TIME THEY SOLD THE PEWS AND CHANDELIERS TO PAY FOR THE RESTORATION.

ORIGINALLY THE PULPIT HAD BEEN SET CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE CHURCH BUT IT WAS MOVED TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION AFTER IT SURVIVED THE 1921 CHURCH FIRE.  THE VERY FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN LOCATED MORE CENTRAL HAD SAVED IT DURING THE ICONOCLASM OF 1536 WHEN EVERYTHING ROMAN CATHOLIC WAS DESTROYED.   HOWEVER, THE CENTRAL LOCATION OF THE PULPIT SYMBOLIZED EXACTLY WHAT THE REFORMERS BELIEVED, WHICH IS THAT THE BIBLE TAKES "CENTER STAGE"  IN WORSHIP.  SO THIS BEAUTIFULLY CARVED PULPIT REMAINS TODAY.

THIS PULPIT IS RECOGNIZED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST IN THE NETHERLANDS.  IT WAS INSTALLED IN 1548.  THE 5 PANELS AROUND THE BARREL ARE FASCINATING BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTIFUL DETAILED WOODWORK.  THE MID PANEL SHOWS JOHN THE BAPTIST.

PLASTERWORK WAS OVERHAULED IN 2000

RENOVATIONS IN PROGRESS

RESTING PLACE OF PAINTER, JOHANNES VERMEER

FOLLOWING ARE PICTURES OF NIEUWE KERK, NEW CHURCH.   THE TWO CHURCHES HAVE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES.  THEY SHOULD BE CALLED TWIN CHURCHES.  IT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1400s AFTER DECADES OF CONVINCING THE POWERS THAT BE IN DELFT THAT MYSTIC VISIONS OF A CHURCH ON THIS SITE WERE SEEN BY A BEGGAR NAMED SYMON AND ANOTHER CITY RESIDENT NAMED, JAN COL.   

INSIDE THE CHURCH IS A MEMORIAL TO THE NATIONAL HERO, WILLIAM THE ORANGE.  FAMOUS FOR FIGHTING TO FREE THE NETHERLANDS FROM SPANISH RULE IN THE 1500s. HE WAS SHOT IN 1584 BY A FRENCH HIT MAN ON ORDERS OF THE SPANISH MONARCH.  THE MEMORIAL ALSO PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE HERO'S DOG WHO, IT IS SAID, AFTER HIS MASTER'S DEATH REFUSED TO EAT AND HE DIED.  HE IS MEMORIALIZED LOYALLY AT THE FEET OF HIS MASTER.  

AT THE CORNERS OF THE MEMORIAL THERE ARE FOUR SYMBOLIC BRONZE STATUES REPRESENTING FREEDOM, JUSTICE, RELIGION, POWER & COURAGE. 

JUST BEYOND THE BOTTOM OF THE BRONZE STATUE, YOU CAN SEE THE LOYAL DOG AT THE FOOT OF HIS MASTER.   THIS  PARTICULAR BRONZE STATUE HAS HAD ISSUES STAYING UPRIGHT.  IT OFTEN TOPPLES OVER AND AT 2,000 kg THIS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC.

IN 1496 THE CHURCH WAS NEARLY COMPLETE.   THE VERY LAST PIECE TO BE ADDED TO THE TOP OF THE STEEPLE WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT; A GIANT APPLE-SHAPED SPIRE TO SYMBOLIZE ETERNITY.  OF COURSE IT WAS DESTROYED IN THE 1536 FIRE.  THIS REPLICA OVER THE FRONT DOOR IS ALL THAT REMAINS.

THE CHANDELIERS WERE A GIFT IN 1981 TO MARK THE CHURCH'S 600th ANNIVERSARY 

IT LOOKS AS IF THE TOWER HAS SUFFERED A FIRE BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE SPIRE IS MADE OF BENTHEIMER SANDSTONE WHICH HAS HAD A CHEMICAL REACTION TO THE RAIN.  IT IS DARKER ON THE WEST SIDE BECAUSE THE WIND BLOWS MOSTLY FROM THE WEST.   THEY DON'T BOTHER CLEANING IT BECAUSE IT GETS DISCOLORED RIGHT AWAY.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE BURIED AT THE CHURCH.  IN 1829 A LAW WAS PASSED PROHIBITING ANY FURTHER BURIALS AT THE CHURCH EXCEPT FOR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AS THE STENCH OF DECAY COULD BE UNBEARABLE.  SOME SAY THIS IS WHERE THE PHRASE "STINKING RICH" CAME FROM SINCE IT WAS ONLY THE WEALTHY WHO COULD AFFORD SUCH AN INTERNMENT.  

I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT WHO IS DEPICTED IN THIS STATUE

WILLIAM THE ORANGE MEMORIAL;  IT IS SAID THAT HIS WIDOW TOOK HIS HEART AND PLACED IT IN A LEAD BOX;   WHEN THE MEMORIAL WAS RESTORED THE LEAD BOX WAS PUT BACK INTO PLACE SOMEWHERE ON THE MEMORIAL, UNOPENED.