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Speyer Cathedral, Germany Date or Approximate date of work: Begun 1030 Description of Work: The Speyer Cathedral is the largest Cathedral in Europe. It is built on the bank of the Rhine River. It was founded by Konrad II in 1030 and inaugurated in 1061. Konrad II wanted to build the Cathedral to honor a city of his choice with the largest church of its time. This cathedral is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The architecture is inspired by a combination of Eastern and Western influences. The cathedral is laid out in the form of a Latin Cross; it has four towers and two domes. A dwarf gallery runs around the nave and transept just below the roof. The transept is a masterpiece of unity and balance. In line with prevailing practice at the time, there were neither building plans nor detailed drawings. Every morning the architect would simply draw in the sand the next section to be built. To be on the safe side, all the dimensions were tripled; and this is how the cathedral ended up with eight-meter thick walls, making it virtually indestructible and ensuring its long life. It is the first structure to be built with a gallery, which goes around the whole build