Fergusson, James: The illustrated handbook of architecture: being a concise and popular account of the different styles of architecture preveiling in all ages and all countries (London, 1859)

Chap. IV.

CllCRCHES AT COLOGNE.

579

banks of the Rhine. Tallness of roof appears alsvays to have heen con-
sidered a beauty by German architects, and it seerns to have been
applied to towers earlier in Germany than in other countries.

Far more important than these, and surpassing them infinitely in
beauty, is the group of churches whicli adorns the city of Cologne, the
virtual capital, or at least
the principal city, of Ger-
many at the time of their
erection. The old cathe-
dral has perished and
made way for the cele-
brated structure that now
occupies its place. If it
was like the restoration of
it by Boisseree, it resem-
bled Worms, and must
havo belonged to the 12th
century ; but there are no
sufficient. data for deter-
mining this point.

Of the ot.her churches,
that of Sta. Maria in Capi-
tulo (woodcut No. 452),
is apparently the oldest;
but of the cliurch erected
in the 10th century only
the nave remains, and that
considerably altered. The
three noble apses that
adorn the east end belong
to the 12th, or perliaps to
the 13th century. Inplan
these apses are more spa-
cious than those of the
Apostles’ church or of that
of St. Martin (woodcuts
Nos. 453 and 454), this
alone having a broad aisle
running round each, which
gives great breadth and
variety to the perspective.

The apse of the church of
the Apostles (erected a.d.

1035) is far more beauti-
ful extemally. Thisbuild-
ing is perhaps, taken altogether, the most pleasing example of its elass,
though it has not the ioftiness of the great church of St. Martin,
which competes more directly with the aspiring tendencies of the
pointed style. These three churches, taken together, illustrate suffi-

2 p 2

Apse of St. Martin’s Church at Cologne. From Boisserfe.
Scale 50 ft. to 1 in.