Basilica of St. Cunibert

The Basilica of Saint Cunibert features a pair of massive, Romanesque towers that dominate the northern edge of Cologne’s old town. It was the last great church built in the city before the Gothic style took over in the thirteenth century. When the building was nearing completion in twelve forty-seven, the archbishop of Cologne arrived to consecrate it, but he reportedly refused to enter the structure. He claimed the church had been built with money gained through shady, dishonest business practices.