St. Cyriac's Church, Medieval church in Bönnigheim, Germany

Cyriakuskirche is an originally Romanesque basilica on a slight hill in Bönnigheim's historic centre. Its oldest surviving part is the tower of 1280, topped by a steep dark slate spire with a red-rimmed clock face. The nave was rebuilt in 1359 and the choir around 1400; the side aisles were renewed in neo-Gothic style by Theodor von Landauer in 1864. Inside, a high vaulted ceiling with pointed arches rests on stone columns, and a carved wooden gallery crosses the width above three pointed arches.

First mentioned around 1100 as a Romanesque basilica, the church gained its oldest surviving element, the tower, in 1280, when Bönnigheim received town rights and its wall was laid out. In the Gothic period the nave was rebuilt in 1359 and the choir in 1400, followed by the rood screen around 1440 and the high altar around 1490. The side aisles were renewed in neo-Gothic style by Theodor von Landauer in 1864, and most of that furnishings was removed in a 1961 renovation.

The wooden altar carvings from around 1490 tell religious stories through detailed sculptural work. Visitors can see how craftspeople of that era expressed faith through their craft.

The church stands on a slight rise in the historic centre, a short walk from the market square. The tower clock and the gallery clock inside face the nave. Entry is through the porch at the lower right of the south side.

A 15th-century painting in the church depicts a woman and her 53 children. This image records an extraordinary family story from the region's past.