St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg
| St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg | |
|---|---|
| Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul Abbatiale de Wissembourg |
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| Location | Wissembourg |
| Country | France |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Monument historique |
| Designated | 1930 |
| Style |
Romanesque Gothic |
| Completed | 14th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 60 m (200 ft) (inside) |
| Width | 22 m (72 ft) (inside) |
St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (French: Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul) of Wissembourg is frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as the second largest Gothic church of Alsace after Strasbourg Cathedral. However, the building, with its interior ground surface area of 1,320 square metres (14,200 sq ft) (60 by 22 metres (197 ft × 72 ft)) most probably is the second largest Gothic church in Bas-Rhin which is one of the two departments of the Alsace region. The former abbey church (abbatiale) of Wissembourg's famous Benedictine abbey now serves as the main Roman Catholic parish church of the town.
The church displays a Romanesque bell tower, the sole remain of the church built in the 11th century under the direction of abbot Samuel, and is thus a station on the Route Romane d'Alsace. The major part of the currently visible church is the work of builders under the command of abbot Edelin, in the late 13th century. During the 14th and 15th century, the church was richly decorated with stained glass, sculptures and mural paintings but only parts of the former abundance of works survived the vandalism which occurred during the French Revolution; of the surviving stained glass, what is not seen in the church itself can be found in Strasbourg's Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame. The 6 m (20 ft) wide Romanesque crown chandelier representing the celestial Jerusalem and for which Wissembourg had been famous was also lost during that period; the currently visible chandelier is a 19th-century work.
The church contains a fresco representing Saint Christopher: with its height of 11 m (36 ft), it is the largest painted human figure on French territory.
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Wikipedia