Baroque tower
The tower destroyed
by a fire in 1767 was
replaced by another
that culminates in a
pinnacle divided into
a number of tiers.70 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO CORNIMany Romanesque churches were later adapt-
ed to reflect new styles. A good example is
St. Martin’s Cathedral in Mainz, in southern Ger-
many. Work began in the late 10th century on a
new cathedral, under the patronage of the Holy
Roman emperor, built along Romanesque lines.
With its large nave and monu-
mental solidity, it reflected the
importance of Mainz as one of
the three great Rhine “imperial
cathedrals” of the Holy Roman
Empire (the other two, Worms
and Speyer, are also Roman-
esque structures). Unusually,
Mainz has two chancels (the
area that houses the altar) at
the western and eastern end.
This may symbolize the earth-
ly and spiritual aspects of the
Holy Roman Empire. The illus-
tration to the right shows how
the cathedral looks today.MAINZ: MEDLEY
OF STYLES