Konzil

At Lake Constance in Constance, Germany, Konzil is a three-storey stone building beside the harbour. Its hipped roof rises above a rectangular structure built directly on the lakeshore. Oak piles still support the building, whose lower two floors form halls carried by fourteen wooden posts each.

Built between 1388 and 1391, the building began as a warehouse for Milanese and other foreign merchants. Cranes in its bay windows lifted cargo from ships into the upper floors. In 1417, the upper hall held the conclave that elected Martin V and ended the Western Schism. Fifty-six cells divided the secured space for cardinals and representatives of five nations. After trade and fairs, customs, market use, and a wartime hospital, it became a restaurant and event venue.

Its restaurant, congress centre, and event spaces overlook the lake, Alps, and harbour. Historicist frescoes show Constance’s story, a medieval cargo ship, a dance scene, and Lake Constance shipping. The upper hall’s paintings date from 1869 to 1876, while the lower hall’s two large works date from 1913. Look south for an inscription commemorating the end of the schism.