Matthias Chapel

One of the advantages of living in Germany is the opportunity to explore "little Germany". That is to say, discover some smaller attraction that is a bit off the typical tourist path, but is itself a little gem. Matthias Chapel situated above the Moselle wine village of Kobern-Gondorf is one such gem.



The chapel was built between 1220 and 1240 by Heinrich II. von Isenburg on his return from the crusades. The story goes that Heinrich II searched for and found the head of the apostle Matthias in the Nile delta. He brought it back to his home and built the chapel to attract pilgrims. The relic was removed from the chapel in 1347, eventually ending up at the cathedral in Trier in 1420 and then in 1927 in Trier's St. Matthias Abbey.

The hexagon shape of the chapel is a bit unusual and reminiscent of the architecture Heinrich II would have seen on the crusade. And there is some really fine stone carvings decorating the entry way. But it is the interior that is what makes this chapel special. The delicate columns that support the roof, the historically accurate colors, the unusually shaped windows, and most especially the mosaic floor combine to make a memorable experience. Some scholars find hidden meaning in the number of hexagons and triangles in the floor.

As I understand, the chapel is open Sundays and holidays, 11:00 to 17:00, from Easter to November 1st. Also for special occations. I was lucky to be there with a group of teachers on an outing that had arranged for it to be open.