folieske4
At a remote location amidst the fields, haven't seen any other visitors.Behind its church is a cemetery. The Abbey was founded in 1101 by count Stephan and was completed by his son Meginhard. Consecrated in 1123 and in 1124 occupied with twelve monks of the Benedictine monasteries of St. Alban and St. Jacob near Mainz, the guardianship remained to the counts of Sponheim. In 1224 Sponheim was first mentioned in connection with the monastery. Johannes Trithemius was the most important Member: this versatile scholar and humanist was in 1483, one and a half years after his accession, as the youngest member of the Convention chosen as the 25th Abbot. In this position he gave the monasterial life in Sponheim new seriousness, but at the expense of latent resentment of the other monks: in 1505 he finally left the monastery and distanciated himself from the Abbey. The monastery was abolished with the introduction of the reformation in the Nahe region in 1556. At the end of the 17th century there was a Reunion attempt was made, which had to be ceased due to the final resolution by the French in 1802. The former Abbey Church, present Catholic parish church "St. Mary" and "St. Martin" has a Greek cross floor plan (rather a coincidence, as the planned nave was never reached its completion), 12th century High Romanesque architecture, it got its current shape in the 13th century. The choir, transept with apses and pillar with pointed arches of the intersection are Romanesque. 13th Century changes; nave with adjacent Chapel, vaults, Flèche, tiled floor, choir- sachristies, embossed Eagle and lion-head on the southern outer wall. During recent restorations works parts of older wall paintings were uncovered. Interior: main altar in honor of God the Father (Heavenly Father) and St. Martin, St. John the Evangelist altar in the Southern apse, Apostles Peter and Paul altar in the Northern apse. Of the rich monastery interior only a few headstones dating from 1487 and sacramental shrine in the choir wall are preserved, the rest of the furniture is almost entirely 18th century. An altar in the Chapel and several statues of Saints and some ecclesiastical equipment.
