Rosslyn Chapel NT 275631 66 Rosslyn Chapel or the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew as it was to have been known was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. The building you see today is only part of what was intended to be a larger cruciform building with a tower at its centre. Though incomplete it still took 40 years to build. When Sir William died in 1484 the rest of the building was never realised although the foundation of the nave has been found to extend over 90 feet during excavations. What was built however is extraordinary………….. Rosslyn Chapel is unique for the beauty of its carvings and also for the air of mystery that surrounds it. It doesnt conform to contemporary architecture at all. There are also Pagan symbols and Rosslyn has the largest number of “Green men” found in any medieval building.
The carvings themselves including the famous “Apprentice Pillar” are full of symbolism. Many of the biblical stories are portrayed and there are frequent references to the Knights Templar and Freemasonary. The official Rosslyn Chapel website is at : http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/