Limburg Cathedral, Romanesque cathedral in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany
Limburg Cathedral is a three-aisled basilica of red and white banded masonry above the old town of Limburg an der Lahn. Seven spires rise from the building: twin towers of 37 m on the west front, a 66 m crossing spire, and towers on the southern transept added in 1863. The west front has a large rose window ringed by eight small rosettes, and the walls carry rows of arched windows and arcading.
A deed of 10 February 910 from King Louis the Child founded the canonry that Konrad Kurzbold had pushed for, and the predecessor church rose soon after. In the 11th century an Early Romanesque basilica replaced it, named in a lead reliquary found in 1776 in the main altar. Around 1180 the Gothic remodelling began, starting in the west; the Archbishop of Trier's role as arbiter in the early 13th-century conflict and his consecration of the enlarged church secured Trier's influence. The canons were dissolved in 1802 and the church became a parish church; in 1827 it was raised to cathedral of the new Diocese of Limburg, whose first bishop was Jakob Brand.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint George, whose relics likely came from Mainz; Emperor Otto I mentioned the patron in a 940 document. The medieval patron saints were George and Nicholas. The seven spires are often read as a reference to the seven sacraments.
The building sits on a hilltop above the town and is best explored through guided tours that provide an overview of the structure and interior. Sturdy shoes are recommended since reaching it involves climbing stairs and navigating uneven paths.
The interior is divided into four distinct vertical levels supported by substantial pillars running from floor to ceiling in the central nave. This structural approach was uncommon for buildings of this era and size, showing the careful craftsmanship of medieval builders.
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