St. Valentin is the common name for the Catholic parish church and

Basilica minor In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular b ...

Basilica of SS Dionysius and Valentinus in

Kiedrich Kiedrich is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the '' Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Geography Kiedrich lies in the Rheingau on the south slope of the Taunus, approximately 2 km north from the town of Elt ...

in the

Rheingau The Rheingau (; ) is a region on the northern side of the Rhine between the German towns of Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the Western Taunus to the Rhine. It is situated in the German state of Hesse and is part of the Rheing ...

, in Hesse, Germany. It was built at the end of the 15th century in the Gothic style. Its organ is one of the oldest playable organs in Germany (built c. 1500). The church was a pilgrimage destination for people with epilepsy and therefore has notable carved wooden laity stalls, including one decorated with the "" (Spiral of justice).

History

The parish church was mainly built at the end of the 15th century in

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style. The church is dedicated to

St. Valentine Saint Valentine ( it, San Valentino; la, Valentinus) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his Saints' Day has been associated with ...

, the patron saint of people with epilepsy (''Fallende Krankheit'') and lovers, housing relics which came in 1350 from Eberbach Abbey to Kiedrich. Income from the pilgrimage enabled the building of the church. The main entrance in the west front is topped by a tympanum which shows both the

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

and the Coronation of Mary. Many people with epilepsy made the pilgrimage to the church. It was therefore furbished with unique carved laity stalls for the congregation; congregants in Gothic times normally attended service standing. The pews are decorated with carvings of ornaments, flowers, vines and inscriptions in

Gothic alphabet The Gothic alphabet is an alphabet used for writing the Gothic language. Ulfilas (or Wulfila) developed it in the 4th century AD for the purpose of translating the Bible. The alphabet essentially uses uncial forms of the Greek alphabet, wit ...

. One front shows the elaborate "" (Spiral of justice), an inscription in the form of a spiral. The Kiedrich Madonna in the choir is a wooden gilded sculpture dating from 1330. Influenced by French style, it shows a young woman who turns smiling to her child. The cemetery around the church is surrounded by a wall and includes the funeral chapel, the (St. Michael's Chapel). The church is a

as of 29 June 2010. Restoration work began in 2012 and is slated to be complete in 2017. The choir, altar and stained-glass windows were completed and the organ restored in 2014. The parish is part of the Pastoraler Raum Eltville, together with , , and File:Kiedrich Kutschfahrt 2011-10 2.1.jpg, Tympanum above the main entrance, with Annunciation and Coronation of Mary File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Blick zum Chor.jpg, Pews for the congregation File:Gerechtigkeitsspirale.jpg, The Gerechtigkeitsspirale decoration on a church pew File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Kiedricher Madonna 1.jpg, The Kiedrich Madonna; in the French-influenced Gothic style of the Rheinland and Cologne, circa 1330 File:Kiedrich-Kirchenbezirk der kath Pfarrkirche St Dionysius und Valentinus.png, Plan of the property with church, St. Michael's Chapel, and cemetery wall File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Papstwappen BenediktXVI.jpg, The church became a

in 2010 File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Chor Sakramentshaus.jpg, Stained-glass windows File:St-Valentinus Orgel Kiedrich 572-h.jpg, The organ was restored in 2014 File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Konsole Meerjungfrau.jpg, Before restoration, 2011 File:Kiedrich Pfarrkirche Konsole Meerjungfrau 2015.jpg, After restoration, 2015

Kiedricher Chorbuben

The boys' choir Kiedricher Chorbuben was first mentioned in 1333. They perform a special Germanic version of Gregorian chant, once every Sunday except during summer vacation. Members have included the siblings Andreas and Elisabeth Scholl. Elisabeth was the first girl admitted to the choir.

Organ

The organ is one of the oldest playable organs, the oldest in Hesse. The instrument was built around 1500 by an anonymous organ builder, first probably with one manual. Repairs are documented for 1686 and 1692. Elias Salvianer restored the organ in 1710. His contract documents the disposition of the organ for the first time. A pedal was added in 1722. From 1790 at the latest, the instrument was not playable. The English Baronet Sir John Sutton financed a renovation, performed from 1858 by the Belgian organ builder August Hooghuys from Bruges. From 1985 to 1987, the organ was restored again by .

Literature

* Josef Staab: ''St.-Valentinuskirche in Kiedrich. 1493–1993. Zur 500-Jahrfeier ihrer Vollendung.'' (ed.): Katholisches Pfarramt St. Valentin, Kiedrich 1993, * Claudia Wels:
Die Pfarrkirche St. Valentinus zu Kiedrich und die spätgotischen Landkirchen im Rheingau. Ländliche Sakralarchitektur mit städtischem Charakter
'.

Philipps-Universität Marburg The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...

2003. ( Dissertation) * Claudia Wels: ''Die Pfarrkirche St. Valentinus in Kiedrich und ihr "städtischer" Charakter''. In: Stephanie Hahn, Michael H. Sprenger (ed.): ''Herrschaft - Architektur - Raum: Festschrift für Ulrich Schütte zum 60. Geburtstag''. Lukas Verlag, Berlin 2008, , pages 17–31.

References

External links

*
Förderkreis Kiedricher Geschichts- und Kulturzeugen e.V.: Zur Baugeschichte der Pfarrkirche St. Valentin in Kiedrich

Kiedrich / in the Rheingau
Kiedricher Chorbuben
Basilika St. Valentin in Kiedrich
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Kiedrich (Rheingau) II/P/21 Deutschland, Hessen, Kiedrich (Rheingau) St. Valentinuskirche

Juwel der Gotik im Rheingau / Die Basilika St. Valentinus in Kiedrich
pilger-speyer.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Valentin, Kiedrich Roman Catholic churches in Hesse Gothic architecture in Germany Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis Churches in the Diocese of Limburg Minor basilicas in Germany