Mariakerk (Utrecht)
The Mariakerk was one of the five medieval collegiate churches in the Dutch city of Utrecht . It was canceled in the 19th century.
history
According to tradition, the Mariakerk was a joint foundation of Emperor Heinrich IV and the Utrecht Bishop Konrad . Construction began around 1085 and was closely based on the Speyer Cathedral . The unfinished church was consecrated in 1099. In the 12th century, construction continued under strong Italian influence. After the Reformation, the Mariakerk was used by the English community, but was demolished piece by piece after various destruction. Between 1813 and 1816 the church was demolished except for the choir, which served as a concert hall until 1844, but then had to give way to the new building of the Gebouw voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen. Only the cloister from around 1140 was preserved. Some of its arches were replaced in brick over the years .
architecture
The Mariakerk was missing from the model in Speyer. In contrast to this, it was a gallery basilica . The domocal round arched vaults of the central nave were reinforced with wide ribbon ribs, as only found in the transept in Speyer. As with many Italian churches, the west facade uncovered the cross-section of the basilica. Of the towers placed on the sides at their corners, only the southern one was designed as a slender bell tower. The crossing tower, which is not very high as in Speyer, had no side towers. The Romanesque choir was replaced in 1421 by a large Gothic choir, to which a small octagonal stair tower was added on the north side.
