Capitals of the Northlands: Tales of Ten CitiesHannah, Ian C.
History
Capitals of the Northlands: Tales of Ten Cities
Hannah, Ian C.
Capitals (Cities); Russia -- Description and travel; Scandinavia -- Description and travel
These plans, made by Sir H. Dryden, Bart., are reproduced by kind
permission of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in whose
_Transactions_ they appeared during 1886. It will be noticed that all
except S. Nicolaus are eccentric in plan. [_Face page 172_
St. Katarina (Franciscan) stands a roofless ruin beside the busy
market-place; tall octagonal pillars with moulded caps and bases still
sustain arches running east and west and north and south across the
nave and aisles, dividing the space into rectangles from which the
vaulting has fallen, and wild roses, growing on the tops of the arches,
shower their petals over the grass-grown floor.[89]
The Dominican church of St. Nicolaus still retains its massive
Romanesque walls in the four west bays, later openings here and there
pierced through. The rest is of Decorated character, strikingly
beautiful.[90] The great glory of this church was that in days gone by
twin carbuncles glittered in the centres of the brick rose windows in
the western wall. As was fitting in a church dedicated to the mariners'
patron saint, far out at sea the sailors saw them even when there were
no stars; they lit the night as the sun lights up the day, nor were
their equals to be found in all the surface of the world. They were not
seen within the church, for the roses do not pierce the wall. These
jewels formed part of the booty of the robber king.
Without the walls a short distance to the north stands the roofless
church of St. George. This was not the English chapel, but belonged
to an institution for lepers.[91] Still further toward the pole the
Klint is washed into steep cliffs by the eternal sea. On this elevated
calvary three stone pillars stand, having formed the gallows of old. It
was a very public place, commanding wide views over sea and land, too
fair a spot for such a gruesome use.
Not every building of interest in Visby dates from the time of the
city's power, nor even from mediæval days. The Burmeister House,
erected as late as 1662, displays in its interior paintings covering
walls and ceiling, illustrating Bible stories and depicting other
scenes. It was a rich merchant's house, and the counter where his
customers were served can still be seen. An interesting witness to
the prosperity the town enjoyed in commerce even at so late a date;
while the present mildness of the climate is made clear by the great
luxuriance of the creepers that swaddle the whole of the southern end.
In no English cathedral city is any ancient dwelling more completely
buried by vegetation; the windows look out through fully two feet of
insect-sheltering leaves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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