SAASENHEIM June 4-7, 2008
Ed and I were hosted by Jean-Claude and Bridget Ueber.A social event with the schoolchildren generated interests on the Philippines and its culture. UPSA also had its first taste of tarte flambee, an Alsacian favorite. UPSA visited “Le mémorial de ligne de Maginot”, an open museum that represents evidences of sufferings and rifts during the 2nd World War (fotos to be uploaded soon).
A visit to Église Saint-Maurice, Ebersmunster (Bas-Rhin) Located on the road from Colmar to Strasbourg is Ebersmunster, a small village that houses an architectural gem, the Église Saint-Maurice with its Baroque abbey church, the finest in East France. Work was begun in 1696. The exterior, restrained, shows a façade flanked with two towers that are square for two-thirds of the height, and then octogonal. They are crowned by green-glazed onion domes. A statue of St. Maurice is also part of the façade.
The interior decoration works began in 1727. Apart the façade, the bareness of the exterior is in real contrast with the rich interior. The Baroque furniture is also very luxurious; among others, the pulpit's Samson executed by Winterhalder (1696), the monumental main altar, sculpted by Jean-Léonard Meyer, from Sélestat, and the stalls, sculpted by an 17th-century lay friar and representing Saints, considerably restored in the 18th century.
Ebersmunster has the only Silbermann organ in Alsace that is practically intact. Built from August 21, 1730 to July 16, 1731, it is the only instrument to still have all its original pipework. It is one of Andreas Silbermann's masterpieces.
The interior decoration works began in 1727. Apart the façade, the bareness of the exterior is in real contrast with the rich interior. The Baroque furniture is also very luxurious; among others, the pulpit's Samson executed by Winterhalder (1696), the monumental main altar, sculpted by Jean-Léonard Meyer, from Sélestat, and the stalls, sculpted by an 17th-century lay friar and representing Saints, considerably restored in the 18th century.
Ebersmunster has the only Silbermann organ in Alsace that is practically intact. Built from August 21, 1730 to July 16, 1731, it is the only instrument to still have all its original pipework. It is one of Andreas Silbermann's masterpieces.
Saasenheim / Shiltigheim / Ensishem / Strasbourg / Plaine
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... Back to Europe 2008