Église Sainte-Croix, Kaysersberg
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The Église de l′Invention de la Sainte-Croix (″Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross″) or, colloquially, Église Sainte-Croix (″Holy Cross Church″) is the mostly
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of the small town of
Kaysersberg Kaysersberg (german: Kaisersberg ; Alsatian: ''Kaiserschbarig'') is a historical town and former commune in Alsace in northeastern France. The name is German for ''Emperor's Mountain''. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a remi ...
, in the
Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is the ...
department of France. The church is situated on the Romanesque Road of Alsace thanks to its ornate
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
portal from ca. 1230–1235; it is classified as a
Monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
by the
French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...
since 1932. The Holy Cross Church was built in the first half of the 13th century, then expanded and modified in the 15th century, and finally partially modified again in the first half of the 19th century, when the steeple was crowned with its characteristic dome. The church is filled with notable artworks, all of which are classified as Monuments historiques. Chief among them are the large wooden
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors. Ancient Egypt Colossal statu ...
altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...
of the
Passion of Jesus In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...
, a 1518 work by the
Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...
master Hans Bongart, with painted 1621 wings by an otherwise unknown Mathias Wuest; a large
triumphal cross A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...
— height — from the late 15th century; a 1521
limewood ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain and Ireland they ...
relief of the
Lamentation of Christ The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the High Middle Ages to the Baroque. After Jesus was crucified, his body was removed from the cross and his friends mourned over his body. This event has been depicted by m ...
; a 1514 sandstone
Entombment of Christ The burial of Jesus refers to the entombment of the body of Jesus after crucifixion, before the eve of the sabbath described in the New Testament. According to the canonical gospel narratives, he was placed in a tomb by a councillor of the san ...
; a 1720
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
; besides a substantial number of statues, altars, crucifixes, liturgical objects, and other items ranging from the 15th to the 19th century.


Gallery

Holy Cross church in Kaysersberg (9).jpg, Romanesque main portal (1230s) Kaysersberg SteCroix16.JPG, Altarpiece of the Passion (1518) Kaysersberg SteCroix29.JPG, Triumphal cross (1470s or 1480s) Kaysersberg SteCroix28.JPG, Lamentation of Christ (1521) Kaysersberg SteCroix25.JPG, Entombment of Christ (1514) Holy Cross church in Kaysersberg (8).jpg, Pipe organ (1720)


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaysersberg Churches in Haut-Rhin Monuments historiques of Haut-Rhin Romanesque architecture in France Gothic architecture in France