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Willigis
Archbishop Willigis ordered a new cathedral in 975
Willigis became regent of the empire between 991 and 994. In 975, shortly after his installation, he ordered the construction of a new cathedral. It was part of his vision of Mainz as the second Rome.
Fire
A fire struck on the day of its inauguration in 1009
The cathedral suffered extensive damage from a fire on the day of its inauguration in 1009. Archbishop Bardo saw it completed, and by 1036 the main portions of the body were complete. Fire struck again in 1081.
Two chancels
The cathedral has a chancel at each end, and no one is sure why
Willigis put the main chancel on the west, presumably modeled after the great basilicas in Rome. Henry IV later rebuilt the eastern end with a large apse. Scholars have not agreed why double chancels were built.
Crowns
The Archbishop of Mainz held the right to crown German kings
During the Middle Ages the Archbishop of Mainz held the right to crown German kings and queens. Conrad II was crowned here on 8 September 1024. Barbarossa announced his support for the Third Crusade from this cathedral in 1188.
Bombing
Bombs burned most of the roofs in August 1942, but the vault held
In World War II, Mainz was a target of Allied bombing multiple times. The cathedral was hit several times in August 1942. The vault withstood the attacks, and restoration continued well into the 1970s.
Day 1, morning
Next is St. Stephan's Church.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Mainz Cathedral, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.