Mainz Cathedral has dominated the skyline of Mainz for over a thousand years, its red sandstone rising above a city that medieval Europe once called the Rome of the North. In 975, Archbishop Willigis ordered its construction, modelling it on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Some of that original stonework still stands. The rest has been rebuilt as the cathedral has been destroyed by fire seven times.

The Archbishop of Mainz was one of the seven electors who chose each Holy Roman Emperor, making the cathedral a building of genuine political weight. Napoleon understood this. When French forces occupied Mainz in 1803, the bishop had to personally persuade him not to demolish it.

A closer look at the tower reveals a subtler indignity: during post-war repairs, the wrong stone was used and simply painted red. White patches have since given the game away.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours circle the cathedral, tracing its role in the Holy Roman Empire, the story of Willigis, and Mainz's long history of rebuilding.