St. Pantaleon's Church, Romanesque church in Altstadt-Süd, Cologne, Germany

St. Pantaleon's Church is an early Romanesque basilica in Cologne's Altstadt-Süd. Its light beige brick west facade has a central gable with three arched windows and a small cross, flanked by two round towers with conical roofs. Inside, the nave has white walls, a flat coffered ceiling painted with faded reddish-brown scenes, and a dark wooden organ loft supported by a carved grey stone Gothic arcade.

A Roman villa stood on the hill before a church was recorded here in 866. Archbishop Bruno the Great founded a Benedictine monastery in 955 and began a new church in 966, consecrated in 980. Empress Theophanu ordered the current west facade and was buried here at her own request.

The name Pantaleon comes from the Greek Panteleímon, meaning "all-merciful"; he was a martyr from Nicomedia, today's İzmit. This is the oldest church of his cult west of Byzantium. Empress Theophanu brought the relic and the cult of Saint Nicholas from Constantinople, and she is buried here at her own request.

The church stands in Altstadt-Süd, a short walk south of the WDR building and within reach of the Severinstraße tram stops. The crypt preserves remains of the Roman villa that once occupied the hill. Parts of the interior were rebuilt after the Second World War, so expect a mix of Romanesque masonry and post-war fittings.

The church houses the sarcophagus of Empress Theophanu, reflecting its connection to the medieval imperial court. This burial site makes it a distinctive place within Cologne's religious landmarks.