Altar at the Speyer Cathedral
I knew that the Speyer Cathedral is large. I could see it as I was making my way to the city center of Speyer. I know it is one thing to see it from the outside but it is another thing to see it from the inside. The largest Romanesque Cathedral looks even bigger from the inside. This is helped a lot by the high ceiling and the tall columns which support it. This is a normal technique used in gothic church to make them appear even taller than they are. The Speyer Cathedral really feels like a gothic cathedral in this sense. However, a closer look at the details of the church would reveal its use of round arches which is a typical design used in Romanesque churches.
Confessional at the Speyer Cathedral
For all its size and majesty, I was quite surprised to see how bare the walls are. I am not sure if there is a reason for this. But perhaps it might be like the Konstantinbasilika where the walls and interior were left bare on purpose after they were reconstructed after the war. These days the huge amount of space in these cathedrals might seem to be a waste because of the decline in attendance in church services. Visitors can approach the altar area which wasn’t particularly impressive. It is cordoned off so you can’t really go to the altar itself, nor should you.
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