The Cathedrals and Churches of the Rhine

Stone churches, river towns and local traditions shape M. F. Mansfield's account of the Rhine valley. His architectural tour ranges from Constance to Leyden, with chapters devoted to Cologne's cathedral and its other churches, as well as Basel, Worms and places farther along the river. Rhenish architecture provides the central subject, supported by comparisons with French churches and by Blanche McManus's illustrations, plans and diagrams.

Inside the buildings, the discussion turns to rounded and pointed arches, vaulting, galleries, carved wooden pulpits and baptismal fonts. Such details show how the author connects a building's overall effect with its individual features and furnishings. The chapter on Coblenz places the city at the meeting of the Moselle and Rhine and recalls historical events associated with it. Readers interested in church design or older travel writing can use these descriptions to follow the relationship between religious monuments and the towns around them.