Culture of Liege. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

» The city Catholic cathedral is named after St. Paul. It received the status of a cathedral in the 19th century. Local worshipers asked Napoleon for this.
»  The treasury of the church was enriched with artifacts from other destroyed temples. The relics of Saint Lambert are kept here.
»  The founder of the church is bishop Irakli.
»  The building acquired its modern appearance in the 13th-15th century. There are also side belfries. In 1812, the bell tower with a thin sharp spire and high narrow windows was constructed upon the order of Emperor Bonaparte.
»  The cathedral included a monastery. Seven rooms house rare pieces of religious art: books, paintings, sculptures, clergymen’s clothes, ivory statuettes, and handwritten texts.
»  There are stained glass windows made in the 16th century.
»  The exterior of Liege Cathedral has changed many times for several centuries.
»  Today, the cathedral is the residence of the Bishop of Liege.

» The Church of St. Bartholomew attracts with its exterior. Vertical ledges of red columns contrast with the background of the white sandstone walls.
»  A lot of pilgrims following the road of St. Jacob visited the church.
»  The unfinished building was blessed when the foundation was laid.
»  The Church of St. Bartholomew built in the Roman style is located beyond the city.
»  There are two similar bell towers at the sides of the church.
»  In the hall, you can see paintings by eminent artists. The main theme of canvasses is the glorification of Jesus.
»  You can also see a brass bowl here. A font was built in the 12th century. The bowl is installed on the backs of bulls. There were 12 statues of animals but two of them have been lost. These bulls represent twelve followers of Christ. The walls of the font are decorated with five relief paintings depicting scenes from the life of celestial beings. The fineness of details really impresses. The font is placed on a pedestal in a separate room.
»  The restoration of the building lasted 7 years and was completed in 2006. The colorful ornament on painted walls was renovated. It had to change 10 000 tiles.

» The octagonal church of St. Jean looks bleak and strict.
»  The church is named Saint-Jean-en-Lille, which means “a temple on the island”). The first building was built on the plot surrounded by water.
»  The founder of the church was Bishop Notger. The bishop expressed his gratitude to God for assistance in captivating the Chevremon Fortress. The warrior found rest here. The tomb with his relics was lost due to the overflow of the river. The sarcophagus of the leader was restored but his remnants were not found. The flood gave an impetus to the building reconstruction.
»  Italian and Liege architects worked on the project. Only a bell tower built in the Roman style has survived.
»  At the Saint-Jean-en-Lille, pieces of sacred art are kept: the wooden sculpture of Apostle John and the Mother of God with a baby (1230), paintings from the Late Middle Ages, a carved cross, and wooden lockets depicting St. Paul and Peter. On the altar, there is the preserved gospel dating back to 1564.
»  The interior is distinguished by stained glass windows of the 16th century, furniture on the baroque style, and a carved Gothic vault.

» The church is named after St. Martin, a clergyman who manifested faith in Christ.
»  For several millennia, the sacrament of communion is performed here. Bread and wine represent the Body and Blood of the Holy Spirit.
»  In the Middle Ages, there was a confrontation between craftsmen and noblemen. The nobles did not want to acknowledge quality between them and ordinary people. In 1312, insurgent artisans burned the church and the nobles hiding there. Several hundred people died at that time.
»  The Basilique Saint-Martin was being built at the site of the destroyed construction from 1506 to 1542. The Cross and the statue of the Mother of God have survived since that time.
»  There is a quadrangular tower near the brick Gothic basilica. Stones were produced in local mines.
»  In the religious building, there are the remains of many eminent people. In the sarcophagus of black marble, there are the relics of the abbot of the church who died in 1602. The sculptor who made medallions for the walls was buried here too.
»  On one of the columns at the entrance, you can see the picture of a church maze. It symbolizes the tortuosity of people’s life paths.

» When Victor Hugo visited the palace, he was impressed by its magnificence and monumentality.
»  The building resembles a quilt made of different fabrics. The construction with wall panels and arched vaults combines different architectural styles.
»  The castle with high walls was built at the beginning of the 11th century. It was surrounded by a moat.
»  After the war in 1734, the southern wall was destroyed but the building was restored. However, it was looted many times.
»  In the 18th century, the building acquired the appearance of the public venue.
»  A hundred years after, the regional government sat here.
»  Nowadays, the building belongs to the local court. The interior of the Palace of the Prince-Bishops has survived. Here, you can see clothes with ornaments, homespun carpets, handmade draperies, and old chimneys of the 16th century.
»  The courtyard is a long indoor area with a high vault. The canopy is supported by 60 columns.
»  The liege mansion has a double name because every king or bishop used the building for his own purposes.