Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux

Journey back to 1130. That’s the first documented mention of Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux. This church, Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux, stands on ancient ground, along the path of a significant Roman road, the Strata Superior. Some remnants of the church’s earliest days even whisper tales of the Merovingian era. Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux has witnessed centuries of change. In 1382, a Gothic structure rose, leaving its own mark on the church’s history. You can still see some of its features today. Then, in 1529, the winds of the Reformation swept through Strasbourg, transforming Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux into a Lutheran church. A few decades later, in 1683, Louis XIV decreed a division within the sacred space. The choir was returned to Catholic worship. A wall was built near the rood screen, separating the faiths. This divided existence continued for centuries. Finally, in 2012, a symbolic door was opened in the dividing wall, fostering ecumenical dialogue. Inside the Catholic section of Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux, look for the artwork. The “Passion of Christ,” a series of paintings by Heinrich Lutzelmann from 1485, hangs within these walls. There are also wooden reliefs depicting scenes from the life of St. Peter, crafted around 1500. See if you can find the four paintings from 1504 showing scenes from Christ’s life after the Resurrection. Local lore whispers that relics of St. Brigid are also kept in the sacristy. The newer Catholic section, built in 1867 by architect Conrath, stands perpendicular to the original church. This reflects the growth of the Catholic congregation in the 19th century. Église Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux stands as a testament to the passage of time, the intertwining of faiths, and the power of shared history.