Willigis and his Cathedral – the Building of a New Coronation Church by the Archchancellor and Archbishop of Mainz

A groundbreaking analysis reveals that Willigis, Archbishop of Mainz and Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, constructed the Willigis Cathedral to serve as a coronation church, following his exclusion from conducting coronations at Aachen Palatine Chapel due to ecclesiastical disputes. This study proposes that Willigis incorporated iconographic and topographical references to the Empire, drawing inspiration from Old St Peter’s in Rome, where imperial coronations were traditionally held. The research sheds light on the strategic architectural choices made by Willigis to assert his authority within the Holy Roman Empire, while also suggesting a new original location for the Willigis doors, further enriching our understanding of medieval ecclesiastical and political dynamics.

Keil, W. E. (2025). Willigis and his Cathedral – the Building of a New Coronation Church by the Archchancellor and Archbishop of Mainz. Romanesque and the Year 1000, 181–198. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003571476-13