Triumphal crosses

Louis the Pious founded the bishopric of Hildesheim in 815. The settlement developed into a town and was granted market rights by King Otto III in 983. Craftsmen and merchants were attracted and the city developed into an important community. By 1167, Hildesheim was an almost completely walled market settlement. At the beginning of the 13th century, Hildesheim had about 5,000 inhabitants, and when Hildesheim received its city charter in 1249, it was one of the largest cities in northern Germany. The clergy ruled Hildesheim for four centuries before a town hall was built and the citizens gained influence and independence. In 1367, Hildesheim became a member of the Hanseatic League. But what is now called Hildesheim was various small "suburbs". After centuries of (sometimes armed) disputes, it was not until the end of the 16th century that a union was created and subsequently at least the inner wall was taken down Old and New Town. During the Thirty Years' War, Hildesheim was besieged and occupied several times. In 1813, after the Napoleonic Wars, the town became part of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia as a province after the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The air raids on Hildesheim in 1944/45 destroyed large parts of the city. Of the 1500 half-timbered houses, only 200 remained. 90 percent of the historic old town was destroyed in the firestorm. - Bishop Gunthar, who was in office in Hildesheim from 815 to 834 had a small basilica built. This served as the original cathedral. The next cathedral was built by Bishop Altfried in 872 as a cruciform three-aisled basilica with a two-story westwork. The building suffered severe fire damage in 1046. Bishop Hezilo built then incorporated the surviving walls into the new building using the foundation of the former basilica. Until the 14th century, further profound changes took place, but without deviating from the ground plan of the basilica. The side chapels date from the Gothic period. From 1840 to 1850, the original west building, which had fallen into disrepair, was replaced by a neo-Romanesque double tower front, which remained in place until 1945. During the air raids on Hildesheim in WWII, the cathedral was completely destroyed except for the west building, the southern nave arcades, and the outer walls. Only the crypt and the Laurentius Chapel from the 11th century were preserved. The cathedral was rebuilt in a simplified form between 1950 and 1960. The baroque elements were abandoned in favor of a form that took its cue from the early Romanesque style. - The "Dommuseum" is the "Schatzkammer" (treasury) of the cathedral. It is located in historic rooms off the southern transept of the Cathedral, the church of St Antonius and part of the cathedral cloisters. The so-called "Hezilokreuz" (Hezilo Cross), was created before 1079. In the center is a small raised plate on which sit eight stones in filigree settings; the middle one, probably a large crystal above the cross particle, is missing, and has been replaced by a graceful Gothic door with a bishop's image

Modena, an Etruscan foundation, was an important city in the Roman Empire and a stronghold against the barbarian attacks at its end. It is said that it was never sacked by Attila, for a dense fog hid it (a miracle said to be provided by Saint Geminianus, patron of Modena), but it was eventually buried by a great flood in the 7th century and abandoned. Towards the end of the 9th century, Modena was rebuilt and fortified by its bishop Ludovicus. When the construction of the cathedral began in 1099, the city was part of the possessions of Margravine Matilda of Tuscia. But when the building was consecrated by Lucius III in 1184, it was a free commune. In the wars between Frederick II and Gregory IX, it sided with the emperor. Two churches built since the 5th century on the site of the present cathedral were both destroyed when Modena got resettled. A church was erected that soon was too small and a large cathedral was planned. Work on the present cathedral began in 1099 under the direction of the master builder Lanfranco. The first stone was laid in 1099 with the support of Matilda of Tuscia. A plaque outside the main apse gives 23 May 1099 as the date of the foundation of the new Modena Cathedral and also the name of the architect Lanfranco. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Lucius III in 1184. However, the cathedral was not completed until 1322. The Triumphal Cross

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Founded by the Etruscans, the city has been an urban center for centuries, first under the Etruscans, then under the Celts, then under the Romans, and again in the Middle Ages, when it was among the largest European cities by population. It is home to the oldest university in Europe established in 1088. The Basilica of San Petronio is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the bishop of Bologna in the fifth century. Construction began in 1390 and its main facade has remained unfinished since. With its huge dimensions (length 132 m, width 60 m, vault height 45 m) it is one of the largest churches in the world. the basilica dates back to 1390, when the city of Bologna commissioned Antonio di Vincenzo to build it. For centuries the church was built. After the first design of the facade in 1393, work began on the side chapels, which were not completed until 1479. The decorations of the central nave were made by Girolamo Rainaldi between 1646 and 1658. The basilica was given to the diocese only in 1929 and was consecrated in 1954. The Triumphal Cross is a work from the 17th century.

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Founded by the Etruscans, the city has been an urban center for centuries, first under the Etruscans, then under the Celts, then under the Romans, and again in the Middle Ages. In 728 Bologna was conquered by the Longobard king Liutprand and thus became part of the Longobard Empire. In the 11th century the place grew again as a free commune. In 1088 the university was founded, today the oldest university in Europe. As the city continued to expand, it received a new ring of ramparts in the 12th century, and another was completed in the 14th century. In 1164 Bologna joined the Lombard League against Frederick I Barbarossa, and in 1256 the city promulgated the "Legge del Paradiso", which abolished serfdom and slavery and freed the remaining slaves with public money. The city center was a forest of towers. It is estimated that around 100 family towers of the leading families, church towers and towers of public buildings defined the cityscape. In 1272, King Enzio of Sardinia, an illegitimate son of the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II, died in Bologna after more than 22 years of imprisonment. The Cathedral of San Pietro in Bologna is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Bologna. A church existed as early as 1028. This church was destroyed in the great fire of 1141 and was rebuilt and rededicated by Pope Lucius III in 1184. The building was completely renovated in 1575. However, the interventions were so radical that the vaults collapsed in 1599. The portico was rebuilt at the end of the 17th century and between 1743 and 1747, on the orders of Benedict XIV, it was given a new facade according to the plans of the architect Alfonso Torreggiani. Romanesque crucifix, 12th century

Due to its location and importance, Benevento was an important base for Roman rule in southern Italy for centuries. After the expansion of the Lombards, Benevento became the seat of Lombard dukes but repeatedly fell into dependence on the Franks and the German emperors. In 840, Benevento was occupied by the Muslims for a few years. The city has been the seat of the Archbishopric of Benevento since 969. In 1047 it fell into the hands of Norman princes with the exception of the city, which Emperor Henry III gave to Leo IX in 1053. In the 11th and 12th centuries, four councils were held in Benevento. On February 26, 1266, in the Battle of Benevento, the Hohenstaufen Manfred, natural son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, was defeated by Charles of Anjou, after which the latter seized Apulia, Sicily, and Tuscia. Santa Sofia was founded by the Lombard Arechis II of Benevento around 760. The church is a rotunda 28 m in diameter with an original star-shaped outline. The church was modeled on the Palatine Chapel of the Lombard king Liutprand in Pavia and, after the defeat of Desiderius by Charlemagne and the fall of the Lombard kingdom in northern Italy in 774, it became the national church of the Lombards who had taken shelter in the Duchy of Benevento. After the earthquakes of 1688 and 1702, Pope Benedict VIII had the church rebuilt, changing it in the Baroque style. In particular, he had the course of the outer walls made circular. Santa Sofia included a monastery built between 1142 and 1176. Parts of the previous building from the 8th century, destroyed in the earthquake of 986, were reused. These buildings now house the Museo del Sannio. Here are exhibited not only the many Roman remains that have been found, but also more recent works of art, such as this 15th-century crucifix.

The Romans conquered Nardò in 269 BC and built the Via Traiana through it. After the fall of the Western Empire and following the battles between Byzantines and Goths, it was absorbed into the Byzantine Empire and, for a brief period, was annexed to the Lombard Kingdom. Between 901 and 924 Nardò was attacked and sacked by Saracens from Sicily. In 1055 the Normans conquered the town and the Benedictine monks were allowed to settle. The second half of the 13th century was followed by Angevin rule, which determined the birth and spread of feudalism. An early Christian/Byzantine was the predecessor church when under Norman rule, the church was built in 1088. The building suffered from frequent earthquakes. So some arches inside were rebuilt in Gothic style and the floor was raised by 40 centimeters. In the second half of the 13th century, the church tower was built, which in the 14th century, was incorporated to enlarge the church, which also received a new facade. In the middle of the 15th century, after earthquakes, renewed stabilization measures had to be carried out on the columns and arches. At the beginning of the 18th century, an extensive baroqueization took place with a new facade, main altar and renovation of the side chapels. In 1743 the town of Nardò was again severely damaged by an earthquake. The church tower, rebuilt afterward, fell into the left nave after a lightning strike in 1815. The crucifix is called "Cristo Nero" and probably dates from the 13th/14th century. However, according to legend, it dates back to Nardò's Byzantine period. It is said to have been damaged during a Saracen attack and the bleeding of a finger is said to have frightened the Saracens.

The original settlement of Matera lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a complex of cave dwellings carved into the ancient river canyon. The settlement is divided into the districts of Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. The cave settlements in the area are an exceptional example in the Mediterranean area. Inhabited since the Neolithic Age, Matera can be considered one of the oldest cities in the world. According to Greek, Roman, Langobard, and Byzantine history, which Matera shares with all of southern Italy, Saracens devastated the place in 938. It came under Norman rule in 1043, became a royal seat, and thus achieved considerable wealth. This bloom continued under the subsequent regiments of the Staufer and Anjou, and in 1270 the cathedral of Matera was completed. Already by the late 1800s, Matera's cave dwellings became noted for intractable poverty, poor sanitation, meager working conditions, and rampant disease. In 1948, when the city was hit by malaria, 15,000 people lived in 3,300 rooms. From the 1950s on the residents were relocated to newly built apartment blocks. Since the Sassi are now a museum town, tourism is also becoming increasingly important. Known as la città sotterranea ("the underground city"), the Sassi and the park of the Rupestrian Churches were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. In 2019, Matera was declared a European Capital of Culture. Today Matera has a population of about 60.000, who live in the city "above" the sassi. Dozens of small rock-hewn chapels, churches, and former hermitages are carved into the rocks here. In 1215, nuns in Matera from the Kingdom of Acre and, in 1220, they were granted the chapel of Santa Maria la Nova, previously a Benedictine establishment. In 1229, they began work on a new church as a replacement for this chapel. This was completed in 1236. In 1480, at the time of the Ottoman invasion of Otranto, the nuns abandoned the church, which lay outside the city walls. In 1695, due to the poor state of the nearby parish church, the archbishop of Matera and Acerenza transferred the parish to the abandoned 13th-century church. At the end of the 18th century, due to the deterioration of the three domes over the transept, they were demolished and replaced with vaults. To help contain the thrust of the new superstructure, the façade was lined with a series of arches, leaving visible the original 13th-century portal. The floor plan is that of a Latin cross with a central nave. The crucifix Since I have already uploaded many photos from Matera from previous trips, I will only add a few now. If you want to see more photos from Matera, click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1334046

The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, Frankish overseers married into the existing Sienese nobility. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena. The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until 1555. In contrast to Florence, Siena was on the Ghibelline side in the dispute between the emperor and the papacy and thus received various privileges. Essentially, however, behind this conflict was an economic rivalry between the two trading cities. The Florentines were defeated at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people. Unlike the Medici, who ruled in Florence, no family was able to establish a stable dynasty. In the War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. In 1512 the city found itself under the protection of Charles V. The citizens rebelled against the tyranny of the Spaniards, but In 1555 Siena was taken after a long siege and two years later given as a fief to Cosimo I de Medici, under whom it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The church was built by the Dominicans from 1226 onwards, , shortly after Saint Domingo de Guzmán had visited the city. The nave was built between 1246 and around 1300. The stones used for the transept come from the city tower of the Counts d'Elci, which collapsed in 1338. The church is also known as "Basilica Cateriniana". This refers to Catherine of Siena, a Dominican saint. After Catherine's death in Rome in 1380 her head was brought to Siena in 1383. It is now in San Domenico. In the 14th century, the church was enlarged. In 1430 the church building was included in the city wall ring of Siena. The campanile was built from 1490 to 1517. In 1531 fires affected the church. The fire of December 4, 1531, spared the relics of St. Catherine. The occupation of the church by the Spanish militia 1548-1552 led to damage, as they expanded the church into a fortress and set up camp there. In 1798, an earthquake caused extensive damage to the church. Because of this, the campanile had to be shortened. www.basilicacateriniana.it/index_en.htm

Florentina was established in Roman times as a settlement for veteran soldiers. The name had changed already when young Charlemagne conquered the town in 774. It became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as the capital. Around 1000 Margrave Hugo chose Florence as residency instead of Lucca. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), the Florentines formed a republic ruled by a council. The town prospered, despite a constant fight between the different factions and noble families. In the 15th century, Florence was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe. This was when the Medici family entered the political scene. As a dynasty of art-loving, power-hungry bankers, they made Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence and the largest Franciscan church worldwide. Legends tell, that it was founded by St Francis himself, but proven is that the construction was begun outside the city walls in 1294. The floorplan is a Tau cross, which is a symbol of St Francis. The design was done by Arnolfo di Cambio, a very busy architect, as he worked as well at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Palazzo Vecchio. The church was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. On Nov. 4. 1966 the Arno River flooded Florence, including Santa Croce. The water reached a height of 5 meters here, bringing mud, pollution, and heating oil. The damage to buildings and works of art was really severe. It took decades to repair, what could be repaired. Cimabue painted the Crucifix of Santa Croce about 1272-1280.

This has been a fortified place already since pre-Roman times, as salt was mined in the valley since around 300BC. A fort was built here by Wilfred the Hairy in 886. In a document from the year 986, Cordona is mentioned in connection with the salt deposits in the municipal area. At that time, the population not only received the mining rights for "Vall Salina", but the place also received market and city rights. Since salt was of great importance as a food preservative, unusual measures were taken to militarily protect the area and the salt mines, and the fortress of Castell de Cardona was expanded. Since the 10th century, when the noble family Folc de Gardona established their residence in the castle of Cardona, the counts have been of great importance for the further development of the city of salt. The population grew significantly. This era lasted until the 16th century, when the Compte family settled in Barcelona and Arbeca, as well as in Seville. After that, the castle became a barracks and the town lost its importance. Today the castle has been completely renovated and houses a fantastic hotel paradores.es/en/parador-de-cardona The Collegiate church of Sant Vicenç, erected 1020-1040, is a great example of the Lombardic/Catalan architecture. To quote Marcel Durliat this is "most important structure of the ’Premier art roman méridional’ in Catalonia".

A legend has it that Saint-Pierre Abbey was founded by the Frankish king Clovis in 506, but historians proved that it was actually founded by the Bishop of Cahors in the 7th century. The monastery did not have it easy. It was attacked twice by Moorish troops in the 8th century. A hundred years later, the Normans rowed up the Garonne and raided the place. After Hungarian troops plundered and finally destroyed it in the 10th century, the monastery was rebuilt. When the pilgrimage to Santiago became popular, the Abbey of Cluny was annexed and was an important stop on the Via Podensis. This was the golden age for the abbey and abbots investing in architecture and art. The Romanesque church, consecrated in 1063, was completely destroyed during the Albigensian Crusade. The church was rebuilt after the war, but the portal, which was built around 1110/1130, has survived the times. ---- I have been to Moissac a number of times and have uploaded many photos. Now I will only add a few.

Not much is known about the foundation of Braunschweig. Tradition tells, Brunswick (= Braunschweig) was created through the merger of two settlements on either side of the River Oker around 860. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church in 1031. Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became Duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state. He turned Dankwarderode Castle into his own Pfalz and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. Brunswick was an important center of trade, an economic and a political centers and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century on. By the year 1600. Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was de facto ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel finally moved their Residenz out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege. St. Blasii Cathedral was built in 1173 as a collegiate church by order of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, opposite his Dankwarderode Castle and designated by him as the burial place of him and his second wife Matilda of England. The cathedral was consecrated in 1226. The construction of the church was disrupted several times during the various exiles of Henry the Lion, so that he and his consort were both buried in an unfinished church. In 1543, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church came into Lutheran use. Its college was dissolved. The cathedral is the burial place of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175 - 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom. - The "Imervard-Kreuz", made in the mid-12th century, is a larger-than-life oak crucifix measuring 2.71 m high and 2.66 m wide. The unknown "Master Imervard", who created the cross, marked his work on the ends of Christ's girdle with the inscription IMERVARD ME FECIT. This marking was originally hidden from the viewer by a gold sheet covering the belt.

The church is a large Romanesque brick building strongly influenced by the architecture of the near church of the Jerichow monastery. It was consecrated in a document in 1212. The church is a basilica with six bays without a transept, with a square choir and a semicircular apse, as well as an unusually powerful transverse rectangular westwork. The roof truss was dendrochronologically dated to 1484/85. The crucifix is an important work of late Romanesque sculpture. It was dated around 1236.

With a victory in the Battle of Lenzen in 929, the Saxens made a significant advance into the dominion of the Slavic tribes. Shortly thereafter, the area around Havelberg was conquered and a castle complex was built on the ridge. Otto I continued the conquest of eastern Elbe areas and founded the bishopric of Havelberg as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The settlement of a bishopric in Havelberg suggests that the place represented a regional center as early as the 10th century and possibly before. As early as 983, a rebellion broke out among Slavic groups, during which the bishopric of Havelberg was conquered. It was not until 1130 that King Lothar III succeeded. to recapture the place. The city was built in the middle of the 12th century, spatially separate from the cathedral district, on a promontory in a bend in the Havel River, that was made to an island for strategic reasons. The first construction work on the church must have taken place in the middle of the 10th century. A chronicler reports that the church was destroyed during the uprising in 983. Around 1150, under the influence of the local Bishop, a cathedral was built. The basilica was consecrated in 1170. The church was about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide. The Romanesque building consisted of two tower-like crossbars with a three-aisled nave in between. A large triumphal arch visually separated the chancel from the nave. The chancel itself was rectangular and ended in a semi-circular apse. The westwork, appearing defensively closed from the outside, had five round-arched portals to the naves on the inside. A fire in 1279 destroyed significant parts of the cathedral. Using the existing Romanesque components, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style with bricks. The entire conversion was probably not completed until 1330 when the high altar was consecrated. After the Reformation, the cathedral chapter converted to Protestantism in 1561. The bishopric of Havelberg itself was dissolved in 1598 by Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg. Structural changes then came in the course of the restorations of the 19th century. The appearance of some portals and windows was changed, the floor was renewed and the interior color scheme was changed several times. Finally, between 1907 and 1909, a neo-Romanesque portal was built into the tower and a brick story was added. The triumphal cross was created around 1300. It was colored in 1885.

With a victory in the Battle of Lenzen in 929, the Saxens made a significant advance into the dominion of the Slavic tribes. Shortly thereafter, the area around Havelberg was conquered and a castle complex was built on the ridge. Otto I continued the conquest of eastern Elbe areas and founded the bishopric of Havelberg as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The settlement of a bishopric in Havelberg suggests that the place represented a regional center as early as the 10th century and possibly before. As early as 983, a rebellion broke out among Slavic groups, during which the bishopric of Havelberg was conquered. It was not until 1130 that King Lothar III succeeded. to recapture the place. The city was built in the middle of the 12th century, spatially separate from the cathedral district, on a promontory in a bend in the Havel River, that was made to an island for strategic reasons. The first construction work on the church must have taken place in the middle of the 10th century. A chronicler reports that the church was destroyed during the uprising in 983. Around 1150, under the influence of the local Bishop, a cathedral was built. The basilica was consecrated in 1170. The church was about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide. The Romanesque building consisted of two tower-like crossbars with a three-aisled nave in between. A large triumphal arch visually separated the chancel from the nave. The chancel itself was rectangular and ended in a semi-circular apse. The westwork, appearing defensively closed from the outside, had five round-arched portals to the naves on the inside. A fire in 1279 destroyed significant parts of the cathedral. Using the existing Romanesque components, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style with bricks. The entire conversion was probably not completed until 1330 when the high altar was consecrated. After the Reformation, the cathedral chapter converted to Protestantism in 1561. The bishopric of Havelberg itself was dissolved in 1598 by Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg. Adjacent to the cathedral is the 12th-century convent building of the Premonstratensian canons. Today the buildings host the "Prignitz Museum". Crucifix carved from lime wood around 1330.

With a victory in the Battle of Lenzen in 929, the Saxens made a significant advance into the dominion of the Slavic tribes. Shortly thereafter, the area around Havelberg was conquered and a castle complex was built on the ridge. Otto I continued the conquest of eastern Elbe areas and founded the bishopric of Havelberg as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The settlement of a bishopric in Havelberg suggests that the place represented a regional center as early as the 10th century and possibly before. As early as 983, a rebellion broke out among Slavic groups, during which the bishopric of Havelberg was conquered. It was not until 1130 that King Lothar III succeeded. to recapture the place. The city was built in the middle of the 12th century, spatially separate from the cathedral district, on a promontory in a bend in the Havel River, that was made to an island for strategic reasons. The first construction work on the church must have taken place in the middle of the 10th century. A chronicler reports that the church was destroyed during the uprising in 983. Around 1150, under the influence of the local Bishop, a cathedral was built. The basilica was consecrated in 1170. The church was about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide. The Romanesque building consisted of two tower-like crossbars with a three-aisled nave in between. A large triumphal arch visually separated the chancel from the nave. The chancel itself was rectangular and ended in a semi-circular apse. The westwork, appearing defensively closed from the outside, had five round-arched portals to the naves on the inside. A fire in 1279 destroyed significant parts of the cathedral. Using the existing Romanesque components, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style with bricks. The entire conversion was probably not completed until 1330 when the high altar was consecrated. After the Reformation, the cathedral chapter converted to Protestantism in 1561. The bishopric of Havelberg itself was dissolved in 1598 by Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg. Adjacent to the cathedral is the 12th-century convent building of the Premonstratensian canons. Today the buildings host the "Prignitz Museum". This bronze cross is dated to the 12th century and was probably cast in the Northern Harz Mountains. Such crosses were used by missionaries. This was found in a field.

The fortified town of Stendal was founded by the first Brandenburg Margrave Albert the Bear and granted Magdeburg rights about 1160. A deed issued by Emperor Heinrich II in 1022, in which the village appears among the possessions of the Michaeliskloster in Hildesheim, is a 12th-century forgery. Stendal quickly prospered as a center of commerce and trade. The parish of St. Jacobi was founded in the 12th century. The construction of a Franciscan monastery began in 1230. In the 13th century, the Stendal Seafarers' Guild was formed, which traded its own ships in the Baltic and North Sea areas. The oldest documented mention of the church of St. Marien dates back to 1283. Stendal received city walls around 1300 and in 1338 a Latin school was built. The local merchants joined the Hanseatic League in 1358 and purchased the privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369. Just like in neighboring Tangermünde, the citizens of Stendal rebelled against the beer tax in 1488. - The church of St. Peter, a three-nave, four-bay hall church, was probably built in parts after 1285, the choir was completed in 1306. In the first half of the 14th century, the nave and then the lower part of the tower were built in fieldstone masonry. After the completion of the tower (according to dendrochronological dating) by 1371 the chancel was raised and vaulted, the rood screen was installed and the nave was vaulted. The later parts were made of brick masonry. The tower was raised to the height of the bell floor in 1415. Then the nave was vaulted in the first half of the 15th century. The tower was completed in 1583. The thrumphal Cross

The fortified town of Stendal was founded by the first Brandenburg Margrave Albert the Bear and granted Magdeburg rights about 1160. A deed issued by Emperor Heinrich II in 1022, in which the village appears among the possessions of the Michaeliskloster in Hildesheim, is a 12th-century forgery. Stendal quickly prospered as a center of commerce and trade. The parish of St. Jacobi was founded in the 12th century. The construction of a Franciscan monastery began in 1230. In the 13th century, the Stendal Seafarers' Guild was formed, which traded its own ships in the Baltic and North Sea areas. The oldest documented mention of the church of St. Marien dates back to 1283. Stendal received city walls around 1300 and in 1338 a Latin school was built. The local merchants joined the Hanseatic League in 1358 and purchased the privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369. Just like in neighboring Tangermünde, the citizens of Stendal rebelled against the beer tax in 1488. - In the 12th century, a Romanesque basilica was built on the site of today's Marienkirche. In the late 14th century, the westwork was extended with the double-tower facade. In 1420 the construction of the Marienkirche began as a late Gothic hall church. Until 1447 the church was vaulted. The church was consecrated in 1447. In the 16th century, the towers were completed. In 1580 an astronomical clock was installed. The Marienkirche was the main parish church of the Hanseatic merchant community and is neighboring the town hall. The 14th century triumphal cross