The rock of cashel is located in the quaint village of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. This historic location is sometimes called the Cashel of kings as well as Saint Patrick’s Rock. Some local legends believe that Saint Patrick exiled Satan from a cave in a mountain 30 kilometers to the north called the Devil’s Bit. This resulted in the Rock landing in the village of Cashel. For several hundred years the rock of cashel was where the kings of munster were seated. Muirchertach Ua Briain had a fortress located on the Rock and later donated it to the Church.
As you can see from the pictures and videos, the complex boasts architectural uniqueness. The Rock of Cashel is one of the only places in Europe where you can see this astounding medieval architecture collection.
The Historic Round Tower
There are very few structures that have survived over the years and most of the structures and buildings are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Historic round tower which is from around 1100, is extremely well preserved and is also the tallest and oldest building on the grounds. It stands at a height of 28 meters or 90 feet tall. The entrance to the tower is similar to other round towers and is a staggering 3.7 meters from the ground or 12 feet. The foundation of the tower is very shallow at only about 3 feet deep. The tower was built using the dry stone method, but conservationists had to fill in some of the tower over the years with mortar to keep it safe.
Cormac’s Chapel
Cormac’s Chapel, also known as King Cormac Mac Carthaigh’s Chapel, was begun in 1127 and consecrated in 1134.It is a sophisticated structure with vaulted ceilings and sweeping arches, inspired by contemporary architecture. European architecture and unique local touches.The Irish abbot of Regensburg, Dirmicius von Regensburg, sent two of his carpenters to help with the work and the twin towers on either side of the Union of nave and choir strongly indicates their Germanic influence, as this feature is unknown in Ireland.
Other notable features of the building include interior and exterior arcades, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a carved tympanum over both doors, the magnificent north door and chancel arch, and the oldest staircase in Ireland. Contains one of the best preserved Irish frescoes from this period. The chapel was mainly built of sandstone, which over the centuries has become saturated with water, causing severe damage to the frescoes inside.The restoration and preservation of the chapel required it to be fully enclosed in a rainproof structure with internal dehumidifiers to dry the stone.It is now open for limited public tours.
How would you like to have the Rock of Cashel hanging on your wall?
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