Veitskapelle, Gothic church in Mühlhausen, Germany
The Veitskapelle is a late Gothic church in Mühlhausen am Neckar, about 23 metres long and eleven metres wide. Its rectangular nave has a flat wooden beam ceiling, while the polygonal choir is vaulted and lit by large Gothic windows with tracery; a square tower stands at the west end. The roof beams were dated dendrochronologically to 1382/83.
Construction of the chapel began in 1380 under the commission of two brothers who served at the imperial court. This founding took place during a period of flourishing Gothic architecture in the Mühlhausen region.
The chapel is dedicated to Saint Vitus, whose life appears in the wall paintings throughout the interior. These frescoes show religious scenes that still shape the space and reflect how this saint was honored in the region.
The chapel is usually open for visitors to enter and explore the interior. You should be respectful of the sacred space when visiting, as regular services take place here.
The chapel's interior was painted in several phases between 1385 and 1440 and was never whitewashed over, which is why the cycle is considered the best-preserved medieval wall painting north of the Alps. Around sixty biblical scenes once covered the nave alone, each apostle and prophet on the choir arch holding a scroll with a section of the Creed.
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