Contributions of the group Rotunda - Round Churches - Rotonde - Rundkirchen

Münster - Clemenskirche

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:06:07 +0000

Muenster, the cultural centre of Westphalia, is a city with a population of more than 250.000 of which nearly 50.000 are students at the University of Muenster. This surely helped Muenster to gain the status of the "bicycle capital of Germany".

The Clemenskirche was built between 1745 and 1753 according to plans by Johann Conrad Schlaun for the Order of the Barmherzigen Brüder (Merciful Brothers), whose members are primarily involved in nursing and caring for the elderly.

The formerly adjacent Clemens Hospital and the church date back to a foundation established by Clemens August I, Prince-Bishop of Münster.

During the air raids on Münster in World War II, St. Clement's Church and Clemens Hospital were destroyed except for the surrounding walls. From 1956 to 1959, the exterior of the church was rebuilt, but without the associated hospital buildings. This meant that the sides and substructure of the now free-standing campanile, which had previously been concealed by the hospital buildings, had to be redesigned in the spirit of Schlaun.

Clemenshospital, which originally started with 16 beds, was rebuilt after the war in a different location and today offers space for over 400 patients.

Liège - Saint-André

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:01:29 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Liège is the center of the largest Walloon agglomeration, and the cultural center of the Walloon region of Belgium. The city, with a population of about 200.000, is located at the confluence of the Ourthe and Meuse rivers.

Around 705, Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the Christianization of the region, but conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège. To enshrine his relics, the successor, Hubertus (later St. Hubert), built a basilica which became the nucleus of the city.
In 1468, following an uprising of the inhabitants against Burgundian rule, xof Burgundy had the city plundered and systematically destroyed. The few survivors who had fled into the forests—Charles the Bold allegedly had more than 5,000 inhabitants murdered—were only able to return to the city for reconstruction after seven years.

In 1789, partly in connection with the French Revolution, the Liège Revolution occurred. It was directed against the absolutist rule of the Prince-Bishop and was crushed in early 1791 by troops commissioned by the Holy Roman Empire. In 1795, Liège was occupied by French troops and became part of the First French Republic. The Congress of Vienna annexed it to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which in 1830 became the Kingdom of Belgium, to which Liège has belonged ever since.

The oldest mention of Saint-André dates back to 1250. From 1261, the church was owned by the Teutonic Order, which held the building until the Revolution.

Construction of the current church, which replaced the medieval one, began in 1765 and was consecrated in 1772. After the Liège Revolution, it served as a grain exchange. Until 2011, the old Saint-André Church served as a venue for temporary exhibitions.

Aachen - Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:08:51 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Aachen - Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 21:20:45 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

This "Imperial Cathedral" was known as the "Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen" during the Middle Ages. From 936 to 1531, the Aachen chapel was the church of coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queens.

In 792 Charlemagne began the construction of a palace here and part of the whole structure was this "Palatine Chapel". Pope Leo III consecrated the chappel in 805.

The carolingian octogon, having a baroque roof now, was planned by the Odo of Metz, who obviously had seen Byzantine churches. For sure he had had seen the Basilica of San Vitale of Ravenna, as San Vitale seems to be a model of this chapel.

The Palatine Chapel was a model for many buildings constructed later. One of these can be found in a small alsatian village of Ottmarsheim, about 500 kilometers southeast.

Having already uploaded many photos from previous visits, I will only add a few more of the interior.
The dome with its neo Byzantine mosaic.

Installed under the cupola is the Barbarossa Chandelier, made on the order of Emperor Frederick I, nicknamed Barbarossa, and his wife Beatrice sometime between 1165 and 1170 . It has a diameter of 4.20 metres and is mounted on a roughly 27 metre long chain under the middle of the roof of the Palatine chapel

Part of the Latin inscription reads as follows:

"The Catholic Emperor, Frederick, King of the Romans, himself God-fearing, vowed and donated to the God-fearing Mary the royal gift of this octagonal [light] crown, instructing the clergy to note both its shape and number: his gift takes its form from the model of the house of God."

Berlin - St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:28:49 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

St. Hedwig's Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Berlin. It was erected from 1747 to 1773 by order of Frederick the Great according to plans by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff in Baroque style. In its architectural form as a round central building, the church was based on the Pantheon in Rome.

Construction lasted from 1747 to 1773. In 1753, the king approved a lottery to raise funds to continue the construction. However, the outbreak of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) brought construction to a standstill. In 1765, the unfinished building, with its partially open dome, suffered increasingly from the harsh weather. The Berlin Dominicans sent a plea for help to their superiors, as 64,000 thalers were still missing to complete the construction. It was not until 1773 that construction could continue, thanks to financial help from Rome and the king.

The cathedral was severely damaged by Allied bombing in 1943. Only the damaged shell of the building was left standing. Reconstruction started in 1952.

Berlin - St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:23:52 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Ericeira, Portugal HBM

nobody@ipernity.com (Paulo Moreira) — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 03:06:27 +0000

Paulo Moreira has posted:

Next to the Chapel of São Sebastião

Orphir - Round Church

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:05:23 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

The Orphir Round Church was built in the late 11th or early 12th century. The current ruin is the only evidence of a medieval round church in Scotland.

The church consisted of a round nave about six metres in diameter and a two-metre wide and equally deep semi-circular apse with a central window. The walls are one metre thick. Only the apse and a small segment of the nave remain. The church survived almost entirely until 1757, when it was demolished and its stones used in the construction of the new parish church. No remains of this parish church remain.

It is thought to have been built by Haakon Paulsson (Earl of Orkney from 1103 to 1123) as penance for murdering his cousin and co-ruler Magnus Erlendsson (later Saint Magnus). According to the Orkneyinga saga, Haakon took sole power in 1117 after the killing of Magnus. The saga refers to a "large drinking-hall" with a "magnificent church" nearby. The remains of the drinking hall, known as the 'Earl's Bu', can still be seen.

Italy, Chapel of San Galgano on the Hill of Monte Siepi

nobody@ipernity.com (Alexander Prolygin) — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:36:58 +0000

Alexander Prolygin has posted:

Margam Abbey

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 20:44:46 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux. Early Christian crosses found in the close vicinity suggest the existence of an earlier Celtic monastic community.

The Annales de Margan are a contemporary chronicle, beginning with the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 and ending with Henry III's quarrel with Hubert de Burgh in the year 1232. The text gives accounts of the purported discovery of the bones of King Arthur, and of the alleged murder of Prince Arthur by King John.

The abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII of England in 1536 and sold to Sir Rice Mansel. Significant holdings of the monastery library appear to have survived this event, including the manuscript of the annals. At this time, only 12 monks were living in the monastery. From the Mansel family the abbey eventually passed to their descendants in the Talbot family. In the 19th century, C R M Talbot constructed a mansion at Margam Castle which overlooks the abbey ruins. The nave of the abbey continued in use as the parish church, as it does to this day.

The remains of the 12-sided chapter house. Its roof stayed intact until 1799.

Margam Abbey

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 20:35:34 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Italy, Cappella di San Galgano

nobody@ipernity.com (Alexander Prolygin) — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 11:20:57 +0000

Alexander Prolygin has posted:

The Abbey of San Galgano was built in the 13th century around the site of the former hermitage of Galgano Guidotti (San Galgano), experienced a period of great wealth and prosperity, and in the 15th century began to decline.
But the main secret of this place is the sword stuck in the stone.
Legends say that it was the sword of a knight named Galgano Guioti, who was led to the Montecity hill by visions. A miracle happened here: the sword easily entered the stone - and remained there forever. Knight Galgano renounced his worldly pursuits, became a hermit, and in the 12th century was canonized.

Gjirokastër - Orthodox Cathedral

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:36:56 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Gjirokastër, today a city with a population of about 20.000, developed on the hill where the castle is located in the Middle Ages. The first fortification dates to the 5th-6th centuries CE during the period of Slavic migrations. It was expanded in the 9th-10th centuries and urban development in the castle area dates to the 13th-14th centuries. During this period, Gjirokastër developed into a center known in medieval sources as Argyrokastron, meaning "Silver Castle". The city was first mentioned by the name Argyrokastro in 1336.

The Albanian Zenebishi clan held Gjirokastër by the end of the century. In this era, the city was contested between the Italian and Serbian rulers. It was taken by the Ottomans in 1418. During the Ottoman period conversions to Islam and an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside made Gjirokastër go from being an overwhelmingly Christian city in the 16th century into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century.

In the 1570s local nobles discussed as Greek representative of enslaved Greece and Albania with the head of the Holy League, John of Austria, the possibility of an anti-Ottoman armed struggle, but this initiative was fruitless.

During the communist regime the city was elevated to the status of a museum town, as it was the birthplace of dictatorial ruler of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania Enver Hoxha.

The Orthodox Cathedral was built between 2009 – 2016. The church spans over an area of 450 square meters and the dome reaches a height of 18.5 meters.

Butrint

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 22:03:08 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Butrint is a ruined city located around 20 kilometers south of Saranda. It stretches across a peninsula that is surrounded to the north and east by Lake Butrint and by a canal, which flows into the Ionian Sea after around two and a half kilometers.

Numerous cultures have left their marks on Butrint.

Butrint was originally one of the main towns of the Chaonians, an Epirote tribe. The oldest finds date from the 10th to the 8th century BC. Excavations uncovered pottery from the 7th century BC. Ceramics from the 6th century BC from Corinth and Attica have also been found. A fortification has existed on the Acropolis since the 6th century BC.

In the following centuries Butrint was largely Hellenized linguistically and culturally. It was one of the largest cities in the region at this time and had several magnificent buildings.

In 228 BC, Butrint became a Roman protectorate and was was part of the part of the province of Macedonia since 146 BC. In 48 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar visited the city and declared it a veterans' colony. Since there was resistance to this, which was discussed (by Cicero) in the Roman Senate, the city only received a small number of colonists. But shortly after the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Emperor Augustus renewed his plans to make Butrint a veterans' colony. The city doubled in size and experienced its heyday in the next few decades. The city was named Colonia Iulia (or Augusta) Buthrotum in honor of the emperor and minted coins as such.

With the Christianization, Butrint became the seat of a bishop in the 4th century. Butrint survived the raids during the Migration Period unscathed due to its protected location on a peninsula.

At the end of the 6th century Butrint was one of the few towns in Epirus that retained its status as an episcopal see. Colonization by the Byzantine authorities seems to have taken place in the 9th and 10th centuries. It remained an outpost of the Byzantine empire fending off assaults from the Normans until 1204 when following the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire fragmented. In the following centuries, the area was a site of constant conflicts.

In 1267, Charles of Anjou took control of Butrint and Corfu. In 1274, Byzantine forces re-entered Butrint. The Charles of Anjou and the orthodox Nikephoros allied and drove the Byzantines from the area in 1278.

From 1284 the Angevin control was limited to Butrint and nearby Corfu. The Republic of Venice purchased the area including Corfu from the Angevins in 1386, however, the Venetian merchants were principally interested in Corfu and Butrint declined.

By 1572 the wars between Venice and the Ottoman Empire had left Butrinto ruinous and the acropolis was abandoned.

The round structure of the antique baptistery, measuring 14.5 meters in diameter, was built within space that was part of a Roman bathhouse.

The cross-shaped font, the baptistry's central feature, has two interior steps, allowing those about to be baptized to step down into the basin. Two concentric colonnades once supported a wooden roof. Made from Egyptian granite, the columns stood on a variety of repurposed bases. The wall's interior also featured 24 half-columns and was covered with plaster and painted. A low bench ran around the foot of the interior wall.

The circular baptistery is known for its well-preserved mosaic floor. However, since it is not covered, it is covered with sand and therefore not visible to tourists. However, there is at least one photo that shows what is under the sand.

Butrint

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 21:49:14 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Butrint is a ruined city located around 20 kilometers south of Saranda. It stretches across a peninsula that is surrounded to the north and east by Lake Butrint and by a canal, which flows into the Ionian Sea after around two and a half kilometers.

Numerous cultures have left their marks on Butrint.

Butrint was originally one of the main towns of the Chaonians, an Epirote tribe. The oldest finds date from the 10th to the 8th century BC. Excavations uncovered pottery from the 7th century BC. Ceramics from the 6th century BC from Corinth and Attica have also been found. A fortification has existed on the Acropolis since the 6th century BC.

In the following centuries Butrint was largely Hellenized linguistically and culturally. It was one of the largest cities in the region at this time and had several magnificent buildings.

In 228 BC, Butrint became a Roman protectorate and was was part of the part of the province of Macedonia since 146 BC. In 48 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar visited the city and declared it a veterans' colony. Since there was resistance to this, which was discussed (by Cicero) in the Roman Senate, the city only received a small number of colonists. But shortly after the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Emperor Augustus renewed his plans to make Butrint a veterans' colony. The city doubled in size and experienced its heyday in the next few decades. The city was named Colonia Iulia (or Augusta) Buthrotum in honor of the emperor and minted coins as such.

With the Christianization, Butrint became the seat of a bishop in the 4th century. Butrint survived the raids during the Migration Period unscathed due to its protected location on a peninsula.

At the end of the 6th century Butrint was one of the few towns in Epirus that retained its status as an episcopal see. Colonization by the Byzantine authorities seems to have taken place in the 9th and 10th centuries. It remained an outpost of the Byzantine empire fending off assaults from the Normans until 1204 when following the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire fragmented. In the following centuries, the area was a site of constant conflicts.

In 1267, Charles of Anjou took control of Butrint and Corfu. In 1274, Byzantine forces re-entered Butrint. The Charles of Anjou and the orthodox Nikephoros allied and drove the Byzantines from the area in 1278.

From 1284 the Angevin control was limited to Butrint and nearby Corfu. The Republic of Venice purchased the area including Corfu from the Angevins in 1386, however, the Venetian merchants were principally interested in Corfu and Butrint declined.

By 1572 the wars between Venice and the Ottoman Empire had left Butrinto ruinous and the acropolis was abandoned.

The round structure of the antique baptistery, measuring 14.5 meters in diameter, was built within space that was part of a Roman bathhouse.

The cross-shaped font, the baptistry's central feature, has two interior steps, allowing those about to be baptized to step down into the basin. Two concentric colonnades once supported a wooden roof. Made from Egyptian granite, the columns stood on a variety of repurposed bases. The wall's interior also featured 24 half-columns and was covered with plaster and painted. A low bench ran around the foot of the interior wall.

The circular baptistery is known for its well-preserved mosaic pavement, but as it is not protected by a roof is covered with sand and so not visible for the tourists.

Butrint

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:04:36 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Butrint is a ruined city located around 20 kilometers south of Saranda. It stretches across a peninsula that is surrounded to the north and east by Lake Butrint and by a canal, which flows into the Ionian Sea after around two and a half kilometers.

Numerous cultures have left their marks on Butrint.

Butrint was originally one of the main towns of the Chaonians, an Epirote tribe. The oldest finds date from the 10th to the 8th century BC. Excavations uncovered pottery from the 7th century BC. Ceramics from the 6th century BC from Corinth and Attica have also been found. A fortification has existed on the Acropolis since the 6th century BC.

In the following centuries Butrint was largely Hellenized linguistically and culturally. It was one of the largest cities in the region at this time and had several magnificent buildings.

In 228 BC, Butrint became a Roman protectorate and was was part of the part of the province of Macedonia since 146 BC. In 48 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar visited the city and declared it a veterans' colony. Since there was resistance to this, which was discussed (by Cicero) in the Roman Senate, the city only received a small number of colonists. But shortly after the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Emperor Augustus renewed his plans to make Butrint a veterans' colony. The city doubled in size and experienced its heyday in the next few decades. The city was named Colonia Iulia (or Augusta) Buthrotum in honor of the emperor and minted coins as such.

With the Christianization, Butrint became the seat of a bishop in the 4th century. Butrint survived the raids during the Migration Period unscathed due to its protected location on a peninsula.

At the end of the 6th century Butrint was one of the few towns in Epirus that retained its status as an episcopal see. Colonization by the Byzantine authorities seems to have taken place in the 9th and 10th centuries. It remained an outpost of the Byzantine empire fending off assaults from the Normans until 1204 when following the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire fragmented. In the following centuries, the area was a site of constant conflicts.

In 1267, Charles of Anjou took control of Butrint and Corfu. In 1274, Byzantine forces re-entered Butrint. The Charles of Anjou and the orthodox Nikephoros allied and drove the Byzantines from the area in 1278.

From 1284 the Angevin control was limited to Butrint and nearby Corfu. The Republic of Venice purchased the area including Corfu from the Angevins in 1386, however, the Venetian merchants were principally interested in Corfu and Butrint declined.

By 1572 the wars between Venice and the Ottoman Empire had left Butrinto ruinous and the acropolis was abandoned.

The round structure of the antique baptistery, measuring 14.5 meters in diameter, was built within space that was part of a Roman bathhouse.

The cross-shaped font, the baptistry's central feature, has two interior steps, allowing those about to be baptized to step down into the basin. Two concentric colonnades once supported a wooden roof. Made from Egyptian granite, the columns stood on a variety of repurposed bases. The wall's interior also featured 24 half-columns and was covered with plaster and painted. A low bench ran around the foot of the interior wall.

The circular baptistery is known for its well-preserved mosaic pavement, but as it is not protected by a roof is covered with sand and so not visible for the tourists.

Chaves - São João de Deus

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:45:01 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

People have lived in this area since the Neolithic period, but it has been continuously inhabited since the conquest by Roman legions, who established an outpost and took over the existing castros in the area. It developed into a military centre known for its baths. The Romans built defensive walls, spanned the river with a bridge, and exploited the local mines. The importance of the town led to it being elevated to the status of a city in 79 AD, during the reign of the first Flavian Caesar, which was also reflected in its name, Aquae Flaviae.

Rome's hegemony lasted until the 3rd century, when, successively, the Suebi and Visigoths as well as the Alani colonized the settlements of Chaves. The area surrendered to Islamic forces at around 714-716. The city was conquered by Alfonso I of Asturias in 773 and repopulated in 868 by Alfonso III of Asturias. Battles between Christian and Muslim forces then continued until the 11th century, when Alfonso V of León permanently reconquered Coimbra, establishing a firm buffer-zone to the south. He reconstructed, settled and encircled the settlement of Chaves with walls, in addition to establishing a Jewish quarter in the community. It was in the reign of Afonso I of Portugal that it was taken from León and firmly integrated into the Kingdom of Portugal domain (1160). Owing to its geographic location King Denis, ordered the construction of a castle to protect the kingdom's border.

The Baroque rotunda São João de Deus was built during the first quarter of the 18th century, as a church for the then Royal Hospital.

Chaves - São João de Deus

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:32:35 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Ferreira do Alentejo - Capela do Calvário

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 21:45:38 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Excavations prove that the village has been inhabited for over 4000 years. Later, the Romans left behind traces. After the fall of the Roman province of Lusitania, the place was part of the Visigothic Empire, to become part of Arab al-Andalus after the Moorish invasion.

In the course of the Reconquista, the town was taken from the Arabs in 1233 and bequeathed to the Order of Santiago in 1234.
This chapel was built in the 17th century. It was originally located in another place and had been moved to the present site at the end of the 19th century.

It has a circular shape, with a dome-shaped vault, decorated with protrusions of irregular stones. At the top of the dome is a hexagonal lantern, topped by a Latin cross.

Lucena - Iglesia de San Mateo

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 22:42:24 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Lucena was known to the Moors as Al-Yussena. From the 9th to the 12th century, Lucena was an important Jewish center and was characterized by a predominantly Jewish population. In the 11th century, there was a large Talmudic academy here.

With the beginning of the Almoravid and Almohad rule, the number of Jews fell drastically. The Jews fled to places in the Christian north, were forcibly converted to Islam or deported as prisoners to North Africa. Lucena was conquered by the Almohads in 1148, after which it ceased to exist as a Jewish center.

Today, Lucena is a city with around 50,000 inhabitants and is known for its “Semana Santa”.

The church of San Mateo was built on the ancient ruins of the main synagogue of Lucena. After the arrival of the Almohad Empire in 1138, the synagogue was converted into a mosque and, finally, in 1240 it was consecrated as a church after the conquest by Ferdinand III of Castile.

In 1498, when Diego Fernández de Córdoba, governor of the Donceles and I Marquis of Comares, decided to demolish the original structure by virtue of its new status and build a new temple under the design of the architect Hernán Ruiz I. The tower was completed in 1501 and the church was probably completed in 1544.

The octagonal tabernacle chapel is a landmark of Andalusian Baroque, designed by Leonardo Antonio de Castro and built between 1740 and 1772