The Romanesque church of St. Peter and Paul
The church was built in the 12th century (1132-1168). The ground plan is a cross in east/west orientation consisting of three naves with a projecting transept. In its centre a high octagonal tower rises into the sky. The rest of an unfinished predecessor tower is enclosed in the angle between the southern transept and the choir. The tambour of the bell tower with four ogival windows was extended at the end of the 13th century. Two crouching male figures adorn the gusset at the foot of the Romanesque crossing tower. On the S/O side of the tower a lion is just tearing a lamb apart.
Inside the church there is a Silbermann organ from 1733.
The apse with the large middle window - on the left: Taurus (Luke), John (Eagle), on the right: Leo (Mark). The cube pattern on the frieze above the window is remarkable.
The figures on the roof: A lion on the shoulder of a man, another figure kneeling halfway with a wrinkled robe symbolizes the symbol of contemplative prayer.
Romanesque portal
The simple interior of the church. Columns alternate with pillars.
This photo was taken in September 2016 in bright sunshine. Also in the church it was brighter. The fact that the windows shine so beautifully was only possible with intensive post-processing on the PC..
The massive round columns are decorated with various capitals. One column carries 21 heads whose different facial expressions reflect the diversity of life.
Click on the photo for a different view!
The original church was destroyed by fire in 1132. The town was then owned by the Hohenstaufer family, whose power made it possible to build a new church. In the Romanesque period, the builders traveled from one building site to another, which explains the similarity of the buildings in terms of architectural style or choice of decor.
St. Jacques Way: Molsheim - Barr
