St.-Lorenz-Kirche

Description:

• Across the Pegnitz River is the largest and stateliest church in Nürnberg. Begun in 1270, it took more than 200 years to complete, but the final result is one of Gothic purity, inside and out. The twin towers flank the west portal. The portal's sculptures depict the theme of redemption, from Adam and Eve through the Last Judgment. Upon entering the church, note the color and detail in the stained-glass rosette above the portal. Much of the church's stained and painted glass dates from the 15th century. The interior is punctuated by pillars that soar upward to become lost in the vaulting shafts above the nave. Each pillar is adorned with sculptures carrying on the theme introduced at the entrance. The oldest of these is Mary with Child, created around 1285. The sculptures urge you toward the single east choir, the last portion of the church to be completed (1477). The Angelic Salutation (1519), carved in linden wood by Veit Stoss, is suspended from the roof of the church just behind the Madonna Chandelier. To the left of the altar is the Gothic Tabernacle, hewn from stone by Adam Krafft (1496), its upthrusting turret repeating the vertical emphasis of the church. Above the high altar is another masterpiece by Stoss, a carved crucifix.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010