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St. Martin’s Romanesque Basilica

The church dedicated to St. Martin is the symbol of Greding and the largest Romanesque basilica in the bishopric of Eichstätt. It is also the most significant historic and artistic building in the town. The five lower bell-tower floors are the most ancient part of the building and date back to the late 11th century. Today’s basilica was built in the middle of the 12th century and was consecrated by Bishop Otto of Eichstätt (1182-1196).

The valuable high altar in late Gothic style was built towards 1480 and shows the Crucified Christ with Mary Magdalene at his foot, crying on her knees. The two lateral sculptures of Our Lady and St. John date back to the late Rococo (circa 1780). The relief inserted in the altar-step (circa 1480) depicts a lamentation scene: Our Lady, John, three Holy Women, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea gather around the mortal remains of Christ.

The painting in the main apse dates back to the period when the basilica was built: here Christ is enthroned on the rainbow with the terrestrial globe in his left hand and his right hand risen in the act of blessing. The symbols of the four Evangelists frame this scene. The wooden sculpture of Our Lady with the infant Jesus in late Gothic style (circa 1510) on the right of the central apse is remarkable, too. The fresco on the central nave dates back to the 15^th century and represents St. Martin, patron of the church, on a white horse in the act of cutting his cloak in half with his sword for giving half to a beggar. The large image of St. Christophorus further in the central nave dates back to circa 1370. The small image of St. Dorothea with a palm and a basket of flowers on the third pile of the northern side dates back to 1420. On the opposite arcade - on the southern side - a fresco of the 14^th century depicts the Crucified Saviour and four Saints.

Next to the southern window, there are some Renaissance paintings (1588), among which you can recognize the apostles St. John, St. James and St. Andrew.

Probably the Romanesque baptismal font is coeval with the building of the basilica, while the gravestones embedded in the wall date back to different centuries.