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> Culture and heritage > Religious heritage
Gothic art
Gothic art
Gothic art only arrived in Alsace in 1225 with the construction of Strasbourg Cathedral, which subsequently served as a model for other churches. It continued to influence church design up until the late 15th century, particularly with the flamboyant Gothic style. Gothic designs were characterised by a quest for maximum balance and brightness. The churches are more slender in shape, featuring numerous stained-glass windows and stand-alone sculptures.
A selection of Alsatian churches built in the Gothic style
• Strasbourg Cathedral (12th century) is built entirely from pink sandstone from the Vosges region. Its single tower and its colour make this one of the most original of the cathedrals. Its façade covers three bays and three storeys, all of which are decorated with superb sculptures and graceful statues. In the middle of the second story we find a magnificent rose window of 14 m in diameter.
• The Church of St-Pierre-le-Jeune in Strasbourg (13th century), which bears witness to the elegance and finesse of Gothic art. The choir is separated from the nave by an excellent vaulted jube dating from the 14th century, decorated with paintings of the four evangelists.
• The Collegiate Church of Saint Martin in Colmar (13th siècle), stands as a marvellous example of Alsatian Gothic art. Its shape is characterised by a single, 71 m high tower topped by a lantern dome. The southern portal dedicated to St Nicolas features some remarkable sculptures.
• The Church of Saints Pierre and Paul in Wissembourg (13th century), is the largest Gothic church in Alsace after Strasbourg Cathedral. Its interior is decorated with attractive frescoes dating from the 14th century, one of which features an 11-metre high St Christopher (the largest painting of a saint in France).
• The Collegiate Church of Saint Florent in Niederhaslach (14th century), which includes a porch-tower, whose doorway features details of the life of St Florent, and which leads into a huge inner area decorated with magnificent stained-glass windows from the 13th and 14th centuries.
• The Collegiate Church of Saint Thiébaut in Thann (14th century), is a masterpiece of late Gothic art in Alsace, and stands out for its elegant architecture and its impressive sculptures.
• The Dominican church in Colmar (13th century), perfectly illustrates the architecture of the mendicant orders. It reflects the sobriety and the rejection of superfluous décor, as laid down by the Dominican order's constitution. The church is home to the famous "Virgin at the Rosebush", a Rhenish Gothic styled painting produced in 1473 by Martin Schongauer.
