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Hildesheim

St. Michael's Church (Historic Center)

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Transcript

Now let us walk just over 150 meters to St. Michael's Church, the Michaelsdom. This church is equally impressive, having been built between 1010 and 1020 on a symmetrical plan featuring two apses.

The floor of this church contains an extraordinary mosaic pavement that dates back to the 10th century, preserving the ancient design of three concentric rings. The central ring depicts Christ in Majesty, surrounded by twenty-four elders with their thrones, while the outer rings illustrate the lives of prophets and evangelists.

This structure is one of the key reasons why Hildesheim was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, showcasing the pinnacle of Ottonian Romanesque art in Old Saxony. The preservation of both cathedrals allows us to compare architectural styles from the same period, providing a complete picture of medieval religious life.

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