Speyer, Cathedral 2

This Romanesque Basilica with four towers and two domes, has been built and repaired in different shades of beige stone over several centuries. At one place a flying buttress (a Gothic feature, not Romanesque) has been put in place to reinforce the wall. There is a touch of modern in this ancient architectural jewel, a large battery-driven floor sweeper was keeping the floor clean in a manner not envisioned by the original builders.

Since Speyer is a rather small town surrounded by farmland rather than factories, the building stones have not suffered from the blackening, characteristic of buildings in major industrial areas. In recent years the city of Speyer has redesigned the plaza in front of the cathedral, eliminating traffic congestion that had threatened to bring everything to a standstill. Just a couple of blocks down this street from the cathedral, in a building on the right, just beyond this photo, small discreet Golden Arches guarantee clean rest-rooms are readily available.