Was it the thrill of the hunt that drew Elector Clemens August to this very spot? Here before us stands the St Venantius-Kapelle a testament to faith and the passion of the chase.
Built around 1740 this chapel in Bonn’s Rottgen district isn’t just any place of worship. It’s a hunting lodge a small chapel nestled within a larger hunting estate originally planned as part of the never-completed Herzogsfreude Palace. The Elector himself dedicated the chapel to Saints Venantius and Hubertus patrons particularly relevant to the hunting life.
Imagine the scene. Mounted hunters their horses snorting their breath misting in the crisp air would gather here. The chapel’s west side was initially open allowing riders to participate in services. St Venantius patron saint against dangerous falls a fitting protector for those who risked life and limb in the royal hunts. The choice of St Hubertus patron saint of hunting even more powerfully cemented the chapel’s purpose. The legend of St Hubertus’s conversion through a vision of a stag with a crucifix between its antlers is well known.
The original chapel was a simple brick structure with a three-sided choir and a baroque onion-shaped cupola atop a small tower. However over time its structure expanded. In 1866 a longer nave was added. The original building then became the choir. Further expansion came in 1937/38 a new western extension with an organ loft added. A new cupola was also constructed at this time.
The St Venantius-Kapelle’s interior is rich with detail. The baroque high altar crafted from oak boasts a blue and white color scheme echoing the Wittelsbach family’s colors. Paintings of the patron saints adorn the altar. St Venantius is shown in hunting attire a striking contrast to the crucifixion scene in the background. The altar is framed by 18th-century bronze busts of Jesuit saints Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier.
The chapel served as a parish church until 1971. Today it’s used for baptisms weddings and funerals. After five years of extensive renovations the St Venantius-Kapelle reopened on October 6 2024 with the consecration of a new altar. Step inside and you can still feel the echoes of centuries of prayers and hunts. The St Venantius-Kapelle a place where faith and nature intertwine a unique part of Bonn’s history.