Mariakerk, Utrecht
| St. Mary's Church | |
|---|---|
| Maria Maior | |
 |
|
| 52°5′21″N 5°7′0″E / 52.08917°N 5.11667°ECoordinates: 52°5′21″N 5°7′0″E / 52.08917°N 5.11667°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Denomination | Catholic, Anglican |
| History | |
| Founded | 1085 |
| Consecrated | 1099 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Style | First Romanesque |
| Closed | 1811 |
| Demolished | 1844 |
St. Mary's Church, also called Mariakerk or Maria Maior, was one of five collegiate churches in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the others being St. Martin's Cathedral, St. Salvator's Church, the Pieterskerk, and the Janskerk. It dated from the eleventh century and was considered one of the finest buildings in Romanesque style in the Netherlands.
The church was demolished in stages during the first half of the nineteenth century. Today only the cloister at the Mariaplaats remains, behind the Gebouw voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen which houses the Utrecht Conservatory.
St. Mary's Church was said to be founded jointly by Henry IV and Conrad, Bishop of Utrecht as the western culmination of the kerkenkruis of Utrecht. Conrad was a loyal supporter of Henry IV during the Investiture Crisis. He accompanied him during his expedition in Italy in 1083 and was present at his coronation as emperor in 1084.
The church was located further west in the kerkenkruis because the location in the immediate west of the Traiectum was already occupied by business district Stathe, and the Buurkerk.
From 1085 onward Conrad spend more time in Utrecht, and it is postulated that the construction of St. Mary's Church started around this time. The church was built to resemble the Speyer Cathedral in mind as an example, which served as the most eminent church of Henry IV, and which was the burial church of the Salian dynasty. As such St. Mary's Church became a symbol of the emperor.
In 1099 the construction of the St. Mary's Church had advanced to a point that the choir could be inaugurated. In the same year however, Conrad was murdered, and the construction came to a standstill. Only after an episode in 1133, when Floris the Black entrenched himself in St. Mary's Church during his raids of the diocese, construction was resumed, albeit under a different plan: the nave and the west side were performed in Lombard style, which gave St. Mary's Church a remarkable Italian appearance, unlike anything found north of the Alps. Around 1160 two towers were added next to the westwork.
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Wikipedia