The Last Judgment at Bern Cathedral's Grand Portal 🏰✨

📍 **Berner Münster (Bern Cathedral) - The Last Judgment Tympanum** Towering over Bern's UNESCO-listed Old Town (protected since 1983), this **Switzerland's largest late-Gothic cathedral** boasts a portal that's literally heaven-and-hell in stone! **Decoding the 15th-century masterpiece:** 👑 **Lower tier**: - Left: 5 **Wise Virgins** with lamps (ready for Judgment Day) - Right: 5 **Foolish Virgins** looking distraught - Center: **Lady Justice** (added in 1575) holding scales ⚔️ **Tympanum center**: - Archangel Michael **battling a dragon-shaped devil** - Left: The saved ascending to **pearly gates** ☁️ - Right: Sinners plunging into **flaming hellmouth** 🔥 👼 **Archivolts (curved frames)**: - 5 angels carrying **Christ's Passion tools** (nails, cross, etc.) - 8 Old Testament prophets - Top center: **Christ in Majesty** flanked by Virgin Mary & St. John the Baptist - 12 apostles (6 each side) Pro tip: Bring binoculars to spot the **playful demon carvings** hidden in corners! 😈 #WorldHeritage #Bern #SwitzerlandTravel #GothicArt