St. Michael's Church, Church building in Fulda, Germany.
St. Michael's Church is a church in Fulda with an unusual round shape and pointed roof, preserving painted walls from the 11th century inside. The building consists of several parts: an original rotunda with crypt, a tower from the 10th century, and a chapel from the 18th century.
Abt Eigil had St. Michael's built between 820 and 822 as the burial chapel of Fulda monastery, founded in 744, and it was consecrated on 15 January 822 by Archbishop Haistulph. Only the crypt survives from the Carolingian structure; after destruction possibly by a Hungarian raid, the church was renewed in the 10th and 11th centuries keeping the rotunda plan. A west tower followed, the rotunda received its conical roof in 1618, and a north chapel was added in 1715–1716.
The church is dedicated to the Archangel Michael; Archbishop Haistulph placed it under this patronage on 15 January 822. The monk Brun Candidus, in his Vita Aegil, recorded a contemporary reading of the building's symbolism, citing Hrabanus Maurus: the eight columns stand for those who fulfil the eight Beatitudes, and the circular form for eternal life.
The site is best reached on foot from the city center, as it lies only a short walk away. Visitors can explore the crypt and view the ancient wall paintings at their own pace, while the church holds services on Sunday mornings.
The central column of the crypt carries an Ionic-style capital that stylists consider older than the church itself; it probably came from the Sturmius basilica of around 750–765 and was reused here. The crypt, built in 820, is the oldest surviving part of the building.
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