Speyer Cathedral

Speyer Cathedral is a large Romanesque cathedral in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, begun in the early 11th century under Emperor Conrad II and long associated with imperial burial and ceremonial use.

Visitors encounter a broad, monumental westwork and nave, a high eastern choir, and an extensive imperial crypt with multiple medieval sarcophagi. The cathedral’s Romanesque architecture and scale make it a major example of medieval imperial church building in Europe.

Construction began in the early 11th century and the building was used as a burial place for Salian and later emperors; it was modified and expanded in subsequent centuries and subject to restoration to preserve its Romanesque character. The site has remained an important ecclesiastical and historical landmark through the medieval and modern eras.

The cathedral stands in the centre of Speyer on the Upper Rhine plain in southwestern Germany, within the town’s historic core.

• Imperial tombs: The imperial crypt contains multiple medieval sarcophagi and is a primary reason many visitors come to see the cathedral's burial monuments.

What to See #

• Westwork and nave: The cathedral's monumental westwork and nave with its broad Romanesque massing and rounded arches, forming one of the largest Romanesque church interiors.
• Imperial crypt and tombs: The imperial crypt beneath the eastern choir containing the sarcophagi of Salian and later emperors and members of imperial dynasties.
• Choir and liturgical fittings: The choir and altar area with medieval sculpture and liturgical fittings that illustrate Romanesque decorative programs.