Protestant Church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune

So, this is the Protestant church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune. Before the new Catholic church of Saint-Pierre-le-jeune was built, Catholics and Protestants shared the very same building, the one in front of you. Now, it’s hard to imagine how it once looked like, but what we do know is that, at the end of the 7th century, there was a small wooden Merovingian chapel built by Irish monks. At the time, the chapel was outside the city walls and was used mainly by servants and peasants. In the 11th century, Bishop Guillaume ordered the construction of a Romanesque collegiate church dedicated to Saint Peter. As there was already one in Strasbourg, the new one was named Saint-Pierre-Le-Jeune (Saint Peter the Younger), while the old one was renamed Saint-Pierre-Le-Vieux (Saint Peter the Older). All that remains of this Romanesque church is the lower part of the bell tower and some of the cloister columns. In fact, the Gothic church you see today was built in the 14th century! And as the city walls were expanded in 1200 and 1220, it found itself right at the heart of the city. Today, it’s a collegiate church and home to a cathedral chapter. Feel free to step inside and admire its well-preserved, multicolored 14th-century frescoes, rood screen and stunning Romanesque cloister. The church is among the city’s finest, and has been listed as a historical monument. It’s one of the few Protestant churches in Strasbourg that is open to the public. And if you feel like connecting with the Divine, head for the rood screen; FYI, a rood screen is a wall that separates the nave from the choir and it has generally been removed in Catholic churches. Behind it, you’ll find a nameless angel, 2m high, who collects your prayers right in his hands. In the basin he holds, you’ll find words written in every language by passers-by from all around the world.