St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Vienna,Austria)

Posted on 29 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom)

Our first and only mass in Austria was held in St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) in the Stephansplatz of Vienna. With its multi-colored tile roof, it is most important religious building in Vienna and one of the city’s most recognizable symbols. St. Stephen’s Cathedral has also borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history.

The author at St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this cathedral:

It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna (Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP)
The cathedral, dedicated to St. Stephen (also the patron of the bishop’s cathedral in Passau), is oriented toward the sunrise on his feast day of December 26, as the position stood in the year that construction began.
It is affectionately referred to, by the city’s inhabitants, as “Steffl” (a diminutive form of “Stephen”)
The main entrance to the church is named the Giant’s Door (or Riesentor), referring to the thighbone of a mastodon that hung over it for decades after being unearthed in 1443 while digging the foundations for the north tower.
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven discovered the totality of his deafness when he saw birds flying out of the bell tower as a result of the bells’ tolling but could not hear the bells.
At 20,130 kgs. (44,380 lb), its St. Mary Bell is the largest in Austria and the second largest swinging bell in Europe after the 23,500 kgs. (51,800 lb) Peter in Cologne Cathedral).
Stephen’s Cathedral is featured in media including films, video games, and television shows including The Third Man and Burnout 3.
The cathedral is also depicted on the Austrian 10 cent euro coins.
The South Tower is considered the most beautiful German Gothic tower in Europe thanks to features such as the statues below the richly ornamented canopies on the second floor.
In 1741, the funeral of the Italian composer, Antonio Vivaldi occurred in this cathedral.
On the packaging of the Manner-Schnitten wafer treat, the Archdiocese of Vienna allowed the Manner company to use the Cathedral as its logo in return for funding the wages of one stonemason doing repair work on the Cathedral.
This was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s parish church when he lived at the “Figaro House” and he was married here, two of his children were baptized here, and his funeral was held in the Chapel of the Cross. Shortly before his death, he was appointed an adjunct music director here. A memorial tablet gives a detailed account of his relationship with the cathedral.
In 2008,Sarah Brightman performed a concert promoting her latest album, Symphony, which was recorded for a TV broadcast and a further DVD release in late September.
Since 2008, the two sabers of theBalint Balassi Memorial Sword Award, founded by Pal Molnar, have been blessed during a Balassi Mass held a few days before the award ceremony. On January 25, 2013, in the presence of some 300 Hungarians, Bishop Laszlo Kiss-Rigo blessed the two swords during a Mass celebrated in the cathedral.
Over the centuries, soot and other forms of air pollution accumulating on the church have given it a black color, but recent restoration projects have again returned some portions of the building to its original white.
Its roof is so steep that it is sufficiently cleaned by the rain alone and is seldom covered by snow.

Bas relief

Built of limestone, the current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. It is 107 m. (351 ft.) long, 40 m. (130 ft.) wide and 136 m. (446 ft.) tall at the massive south tower, its highest point and a dominant feature of the Vienna skyline.

Bas relief

The soaring South Tower, built from 1368 to 1433, served as the main observation and command post for the defense of the walled city during the Siege of Vienna in 1529 and again during the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Until 1955, it contained an apartment for the watchmen who, manned the tower at night and rang the bells if a fire was spotted in the city. It’s a tough climb up the 343 steps to the Watch Room which has a spectacular view over the city. At the tip stands the double-eagle imperial emblem with the Habsburg-Lorraine coat of arms on its chest, surmounted by a double-armed apostolic cross (which refers to Apostolic Majesty, the imperial style of kings of Hungary). A peal of 11 electrically operated bells, cast in 1960, hangs in the south tower.

The South Tower

The North Tower, standing at 68 m. (223 ft.) tall (roughly half the height of the south tower), was originally intended to mirror the south tower but, considering the era of Gothic cathedrals was nearing its end, its design proved too ambitious and its construction was halted in 1511. However, in 1578, its tower-stump was augmented with a Renaissance cap (nicknamed the “water tower top” by the Viennese).

The ornately patterned and richly colored roof

The glory of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is its 111 m. (364 ft.) long, ornately patterned and richly colored roof which is covered by 230,000 glazed tiles. On the south side of the building, above the choir, the tiles form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle that is symbolic of the empire ruled from Vienna by the Habsburg dynasty. On the north side are depicted the coats of arms of the City of Vienna and of the Republic of Austria.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral has 23 bells in total. Some are replacements for other ancient bells lost in the 1945 fire. The north Roman Tower contains six bells, five of which were cast in 1772, that ring for evening prayers and toll for funerals. They are working bells of the cathedral and their names usually recall their original uses. The 1945 fire destroyed the bells that hung in the south Roman Tower. Four bells are used for an ordinary Mass. The quantity increases to as many as ten for a major holiday Mass; and the eleventh and largest is added when the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna himself is present. They include:

Mary – 20,130 kgs. (44,380 lbs.). Usually called Pummerin (“Boomer”), it hangs in the North Tower and was originally cast in 1711 from cannons captured from the Muslim invaders. In 1951, it was recast (partly from its original metal) after crashing onto the floor when its wooden cradle burned during the 1945 fire. The new bell has a diameter of 3.14 m. (10.3 ft.) and was a gift from the province of Upper Austria. It sounds on only a few special occasions each year, including the arrival of the New Year. A fast lift takes visitors to a viewing platform.
Stephen – 5,700 kgs. (12,600 lbs.)
Leopold – 2,300 kgs. (5,100 lbs.)
Christopher – 1,350 kgs. (2,980 lbs.)
Leonhard – 950 kgs. (2,090 lbs.)
Josef – 700 kgs. (1,500 lbs.)
Peter Canisius – 400 kgs. (880 lbs.)
Pius X – 280 kgs.
All Saints – 200 kgs. (440 lbs.)
Clement Maria Hofbauer – 120 kgs. (260 lbs.)
Speisglocke (“dinner bell”) – North Tower, 240 kgs. (530 lbs.), cast in 1746, no longer in use
Zügenglocke (“processions bell”) – North Tower, 65 kgs. (143 lbs.), cast in 1830, no longer in use.
Kleine Glocke (“small bell”) – North Tower, 62 kgs. (137 lbs.), cast around 1280, no longer in use
Michael – 60 kgs. (130 lbs.)
Tarsicius – 35 kgs. (77 lbs.)
Primglocke– South Tower, recast in 1772, marks the passing of the hours
Uhrschälle– South Tower, cast in 1449, marks the passing of the hours
Feuerin (“fire alarm”) – North Roman Tower, cast in 1859, now used as a call to evening prayers
Kantnerin – North Roman Tower, used to call the cantors (musicians) to Mass
Feringerin – North Roman Tower, used for High Mass on Sundays
Bieringerin (“beer ringer”) – North Roman Tower, for last call at taverns
Poor Souls – North Roman Tower, the funeral bell
Churpötsch – North Roman Tower, donated by the local curia in honor of the Maria Pötsch icon in the cathedral

The Late Romanesque Giant’s Door is notable for its uncommonly rich ornamentation of dragons, birds, lions, monks, and demons. The tympanum above the door depicts Christ Pantocrator, flanked by two winged angels, while on the left and right are the two approximately 65 m. (213 ft.) tall Heathen Towers or Heidentürme (the German word Heiden means “heathens” or “pagans”). The name is derived from the fact that they were constructed from the rubble of old structures built by the Romans during their occupation of the area. Square at the base and octagonal above the roofline, the Heidentürme originally housed bells. Those in the South Tower were lost during World War II, but the North Tower remains an operational bell tower. The Giant’s Door, together with the Heathen Towers, are the oldest parts of the church.

The Bishop’s Gate, originally reserved for female visitors, boasts fine figurative sculptures from 1370, along with a number of coats-of-arms, while the Singer Gate, the entry for male visitors, is notable for its figures of the Apostles and the legend of St. Paul dating from 1378.

Here’s the historical timeline of the cathedral:

Following the Treaty of Mautern, it was founded in 1137
In 1147, the partially constructed Romanesque church was solemnly dedicated to Saint Stephen in the presence of Conrad III of Germany, Bishop Otto of Freising, and other German nobles who were about to embark on the Second Crusade.
In 1160, the first structure was completed
From 1230 to 1245, the initial Romanesque structure was extended westward. The present-day west wall and Romanesque towers date from this period.
In 1258, a great fire destroyed much of the original building.
On April 23, 1263, a larger replacement structure, also Romanesque in style and reusing the two towers, was constructed over the ruins of the old church and consecrated. Each year, the anniversary of this second consecration is commemorated by a rare ringing of the Pummerin bell for three minutes in the evening.
In 1304,a Gothic three-nave choir east of the church, wide enough to meet the tips of the old transepts, ordered to be constructed by King Albert I.
In 1340, the 77th anniversary of the previous consecration, the Albertine choir, whose construction was continued by Duke Albert II, was consecrated.
On April 7, 1359, Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365), Albert II’s son, laid the cornerstone for a westward Gothic extension of the Albertine choir in the vicinity of the present south tower. This expansion would eventually encapsulate the entirety of the old church.
In 1365, just six years after beginning the Gothic extension of the Albertine choir, Rudolf IV disregarded St. Stephen’s status as a mere parish church and presumptuously established a chapter of canons befitting a large cathedral. This move was only the first step in fulfilling Vienna’s long-held desire to obtain its own diocese.
In 1430, as work progressed on the new cathedral, the edifice of the old church was removed from within.
In 1433, the south tower was completed
From 1446 to 1474, the vaulting of the nave took place.
In 1450, the foundation for a north tower was laid and construction began under master Lorenz Spenning
In 1511, its construction was abandoned when major work on the cathedral ceased.
In 1469,Emperor Frederick III prevailed upon Pope Paul II to grant Vienna its own bishop, to be appointed by the emperor.
On January 18, 1469, despite long-standing resistance by the Bishops of Passau (who did not wish to lose control of the area), the Diocese of Vienna was canonically established with St. Stephen’s Cathedral as its mother church.
In 1722, during the reign of Karl VI, Pope Innocent XIII elevated the see to an archbishopric.
During World War II, the cathedral was saved from intentional destruction, at the hands of retreating German forces, when Capt. Gerhard Klinkicht disregarded orders from the city commandant, Josef Dietrich
On April 12, 1945, as Soviet Army troops entered the city, the wooden framework of the roof cathedral’s roof was severely damaged by fires lit by civilian looters in nearby shops and carried by the winds, causing it to collapse. Fortunately, protective brick shells built around the pulpit, Frederick III’s tomb, and other treasures, minimized damage to the most valuable artworks. However, the Rollinger choir stalls, carved in 1487, could not be saved. Replicating the original wooden bracing for so large a roof (it rises 38 m. above the floor) would have been cost prohibitive, so over 600 metric tons of steel bracing were used instead.
On December 12, 1948, after rebuilding, the cathedral was partially reopened.
On April 23, 1950, the cathedral was fully reopened.
In 1960, Michael Kauffmann finished a large electric organ with 125 voices and 4 manuals, financed with public donations.
In 1991, the Austrian firm of Rieger rebuilt the mechanical choir organ with 56 voices and 4 manuals.
As of December 2008, the majority of the restoration on the south tower has been finished, and most scaffolding removed.
On March 29, 2014, a 37-year-oldGhanaian asylum seeker vandalized the interior of the cathedral by pushing the statue of Jude Thaddeus from its marble base.

The three-aisled interior

The spacious three-aisled interior is divided by clustered pillars on which are life-size statues, including one of St. Christopher dating from 1470. The middle nave is largely dedicated to St. Stephen and All Saints while the north and south nave are dedicated to St. Mary and the Apostles respectively. To the left of the main entrance, embedded in the cathedral wall, is the official Viennese ell length, standards for verifying the measure of different types of cloth sold. At the southwest corner are various memorials from the time the area outside the cathedral was a cemetery and a recently restored 15th-century sundial, on a flying buttress. There’s also a figure of Christ affectionately known to the Viennese as “Christ with a toothache” (from the agonized expression of his face).

The High Altar

The main part of the church contains 18 altars, with more in the various chapels. The distant High Altar, the first focal point of any visitor, is the most famous. Built in the Baroque style from 1641 to 1647 by Tobias Pock at the direction of Vienna’s Bishop Philipp Friedrich Graf Breuner with black marble from Poland, Styria and Tyrol, it represents the stoning of the church’s patron St. Stephen. The altar is framed by figures of Saints Leopold, Florian, Sebastian and Rochus, all patron saints from the surrounding areas, and surmounted with a statue of St. Mary which draws the beholder’s eye to a glimpse of heaven where Christ waits for Stephen (the first martyr) to ascend from below.

The Wiener Neustädter Altar

The Wiener Neustädter Altar (German: Wiener Neustädter Altar), at the head of the north nave, was ordered in 1447 by Emperor Frederick III (his tomb is located in the opposite direction). On the predella is his famous A.E.I.O.U. device first ordered by Frederick for the Cistercian Viktring Abbey (near Klagenfurt), where it remained until the abbey was closed in 1786 as part of Emperor Joseph II’s anti-clerical reforms. It was then sent to the Cistercian monastery of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (founded by Emperor Frederick III) in the city of Wiener Neustadt and, when the Wiener Neustadt monastery was closed after merging with Heiligenkreuz Abbey, finally sold to St. Stephen’s Cathedral in 1885.

The altar is composed of two triptychs, the upper being four times taller than the lower one. The Gothic grate of the former reliquary depot, above the altar, is revealed when the lower panels are opened. A drab painted scene, involving 72 saints, is displayed when the four panels are closed on weekdays while gilded wooden figures, depicting events in the life of the Virgin Mary, are shown when the panels are opened on Sundays. In 1985, on its 100th anniversary, restoration began. Primarily because its large surface area of 100 sq. m. (1,100 sq. ft.), it took 20 years, 10 art restorers, 40,000 man-hours, and €1.3 million to complete.

The stone pulpit

The 16^th century stone pulpit, the most important work of art in the nave and a masterwork of late Gothic sculpture, stands against a pillar out in the nave, instead of in the chancel at the front of the church so that the local language sermon could be better heard by the worshipers in the days before microphones and loud speakers. Long attributed to Anton Pilgram, today, Niclaes Gerhaert van Leyden is thought more likely to be the carver.

The sides of the pulpit, erupting like stylized petals from the stem supporting it, has a stairway handrail ((has fantastic decorations of toads and lizards biting each other, symbolizing the fight of good against evil) that curves its way around the pillar from ground level to the pulpit. A stone puppy, at the top of the stairs, protects the preacher from intruders. The Gothic petals has relief portraits of the four original Doctors of the Church (St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great and St. Jerome), each of them in one of four different temperaments and in one of four different stages of life.

A stone self-portrait of the unknown sculptor gawking (German: gucken) out of a window (German: fenster), famously known as the Fenstergucker, is located beneath the stairs. One of the most beloved symbols of the cathedral, the chisel in the subject’s hand, and the stonemason‘s signature mark on the shield above the window led to the speculation that it could be a self-portrait of the sculptor.

The Maria Pötsch Icon, a 50 x 70 cm. Byzantine style icon, takes its name from the Hungarian Byzantine Catholic shrine of Máriapócs (pronounced Poach), from where it was transferred to Vienna. The picture shows the Virgin Mary pointing to the child Jesus (signifying “He is the way”) and the child holding a three-stemmed rose (symbolizing the Holy Trinity) and wearing a prescient cross from his neck. The icon was commissioned from painter István Papp by László Csigri in 1676 upon his release as a prisoner of war from the Turks who were invading Hungary at the time. As Csigri was unable to pay the 6-forint fee, the icon was bought by Lőrinc Hurta who, in turn, donated it to the church of Pócs.

In 1696, after two miraculous incidents with the Virgin Mary in the picture shedding real tears, Emperor Leopold I ordered it brought to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where it would be safe from the Muslim armies that still controlled much of Hungary. In 1697, after a triumphal five-month journey, the icon arrived in the cathedral and Empress Eleonora Magdalena commissioned the splendid Rosa Mystica oklad and framework (now one of several) for it. The Emperor personally ordered the icon placed near the High Altar in the front of the church, where it stood prominently from 1697 until 1945. Since then, the icon has been in a different framework, above an altar, under a Medieval stone baldachin near the southwest corner of the nave. Many burning candles here indicate the extent of its veneration, especially by Hungarians.

Since its arrival, the icon has not been seen weeping again but other miracles and answered prayers have been attributed to it, including Prince Eugene of Savoy‘s victory over the Turks at Zenta, a few weeks after the icon’s installation in the Stephansdom.

Lady’s Altar

There are several formal chapels in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. They include:

Barbara’s Chapel, in the base of the north tower, is used for meditation and prayer.
Katherine’s Chapel, the baptismal chapel in the base of the south tower, has a 14-sided baptismal font completed in 1481 whose cover was formerly the sound board above the famed pulpit in the main church. Its marble base (plinth) shows the Four Evangelists, while the niches of the basin feature reliefs of the Twelve Apostles, Christ and St. Stephan.
Eligius’s Chapel (or Duke’s Chapel), in the southeast corner, with its important 14th-century statues, is open for prayer. The altar is dedicated to St. Valentine whose body (one of three, held by various churches) is in another chapel, upstairs.
The recently restored Bartholomew’s Chapel is above St. Eligius’ Chapel.
The Chapel of the Cross (or Tirna Chapel), in the northwest corner of the cathedral, is not open to the public. Built in1359, it holds the burial place of Prince Eugene of Savoy, commander of the Imperial forces during the War of the Spanish Succession, in a vault containing 3 coffins and a heart urn, under a massive stone slab with iron rings. The funeral of Mozart occurred here December 6, 1791. Above the altar is a 15th-century crucifix and the beard on the crucified Christ which is made of human hair and, according to legend, is still growing.
Valentine’s Chapel, above the Chapel of the Cross, is the current depository of the hundreds of relics belonging to the Stephansdom (including a piece of the tablecloth from the Last Supper). A large chest holds the bones of St. Valentine that were moved here about a century ago, from what is now the Chapter House to the south of the High Altar.

Since its earliest days, it has always been an honor to be buried inside the cathedral, close to the physical presence of the saints whose relics are preserved there, and it has sheltered the bodies of notables and commoners. Those less honored were buried near, but outside the church.

Peter and Paul Altar

Aside from the aforementioned Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Chapel of The Cross, also inside the cathedral is the tomb of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, under whose reign the Diocese of Vienna was canonically erected on January 18, 1469, in the Apostles’ Choir (south choir, southeast corner of the cathedral).

The construction of Emperor Frederick’s tomb, spanning over 45 years, started 25 years before his death. The impressive raised sarcophagus, carved by Dutch artist Niclaes Gerhaert van Leyden, is made of the unusually dense red marble-like stone found at the Adnet quarry. The tomb lid shows Emperor Frederick in his coronation regalia, surrounded by the coats of arms of all of his dominions. The body of the tomb, a glory of Medieval sculptural art, has 240 statues.

St. Januarius Altar

The basement of the cathedral also hosts the Bishop’s Crypt (completed in 1952) under the south choir, Provost’s Crypt and Ducal Crypt under the chancel. The most recent interment in the Bishop’s crypt was that of 98-year-old Cardinal Franz König in 2004. Provosts of the cathedral are buried in another chamber while other members of the cathedral chapter are now buried in a special section at the Zentralfriedhof.

The Ducal Crypt, ordered built by Duke Rudolf IV (for his remains in the new cathedral he commissioned) before his death in 1365, holds 78 bronze containers with the bodies, hearts, or viscera of 72 members of the Habsburg dynasty.

The small rectangular chamber, overcrowded with 12 sarcophagi and 39 urns by 1754, was expanded with an oval chamber added to the east end of the rectangular one and, in 1956, the two chambers were renovated and their contents rearranged. The sarcophagi of Duke Rudolf IV and his wife were placed upon a pedestal and the 62 urns containing organs were moved from the two rows of shelves around the new chamber to cabinets in the original one.

In 1735, the charnel house and eight cemeteries abutting the cathedral’s side and back walls were closed due to an outbreak of bubonic plague and the bones within them were moved to the catacombs below the church. In 1783, burials directly in the catacombs were discontinued when a new law forbade most burials within the city. Today, the catacombs, with remains of over 11,000 persons stacked up in tiers, may be toured.

Altar dedicated to St. Padre Pio

Adjacent to the catacomb entrance is the Capistran Chancel. Its pulpit, now outdoors, was the original cathedral’s main pulpit inside until it was replaced by Niclaes Gerhaert van Leyden’s pulpit in 1515. Here, St. John Capistrano and Hungarian general John Hunyadi preached a crusade in 1456 to repel Muslim invasions of Christian Europe. The 18th century Baroque statue shows St. Francis under an extravagant sunburst, trampling on a beaten Turk.

The fascinating Cathedral Treasure, located in the West Gallery, houses many of the cathedral’s most important and valuable objects.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral : Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Wien, Austria. Tel: +43 1 515523054. Website: www.stephanskirche.at.

How to Get There: St. Stephen’s Cathedral is within walking distance of Vienna’s city center and its major tourist attractions. By bus, it is well served by Vienna’s bus service (Routes 1A, 2A, or 3A). The nearest U-Bahn subway station is Stephansplatz. No on-site public parking is available.

Michaelerplatz (Vienna, Austria)

Posted on 29 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Michaelerplatz

The most common way to enter the Hofburg, one of the world’s biggest palace complexes, is from the extremely irregular, cobblestoned Michaelerplatz (St. Michael’s Square), a major pick-up point for tours by fiaker (horse-drawn carriages). An amazing display of the mixed Austrian architectural historical styles, the square (its actually circular) has had its name since around 1850. The square is dominated by the impressive Neo-Baroque Michaelertor (Michael’s Gate), the entrance gate to the Hofburg.

Michaelertor

Here’s the historical timeline of the square:

In 1725, the square was redesigned around the plans of Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlachs for the Michaeler wing of the Hofburg
In 1729, construction on the left wing began but stagnated during the last years of the reign of Emperor Charles VI.
In autumn 1838, Vienna’s first public gas lighting was installed at the Michaelerplatz via a gas (the gas came from the Roßau gas works via a line) candelabrum with six flames set up by entrepreneur Georg Pfendler, founder and director of the “Austrian Society for Lighting with Gas.”
From 1889 to 1893, the Baroque plans were realized by Austrian architect Ferdinand Kirschner when the old Hoftheater (castle theater), the predecessor of today’s Burgtheater, standing in the middle of the square was demolished in 1888.
In 1927, Vienna’s first roundabout was set up at Michaelerplatz.

Palais Herberstein and Looshaus in the background with the Roman Ruins in the foreground

At the center of the square is an open area with the excavated and now exposed ruins of a Roman house as well as some medieval foundations and remains of the former Burgtheater, all seen from street level. A number of remarkable buildings are grouped around the Michaelerplatz.

Check out “Roman Ruins“

Michaelertrakt

The Michaelertrakt, with its curving façade and 50 m. high dome, dominates the façade of the palace which faces the centre of the city. One of the most exuberant wings of the imperial palace, it was completed in 1893 by Ferdinand Kirschner following the original Baroque design of Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach von Erlach in the 1720s. At the center of this wing is the monumental Michaelertor gate, leading through the Michaelertrakt, to the Hofburg’s inner courtyard.

Statue of Hercules Fighting Antaeus (Lorenzo Mattielli)

Along the sides of the three entrances are colossal statues of Hercules and on both sides of the doorway are large 19th-century wall fountains with sculpture groups done by artists who were alumni of the Akademie der bildenden Künste (“Academy of Fine Arts”).

Statue of Labor of Hercules (Lorenzo Mattielli)

The fountain on the right, known as the Macht zu Lande (“Power on Land”) was designed in 1897 by Edmund von Hellmer and symbolizes the Austrian army. The fountain on the left, known as the Macht zur See (“Power at Sea”), was sculpted in 1895 by Rudolf Weyr and symbolizes the Austrian naval power.

Power at Sea Fountain (Rudolf Weyr)

Opposite the Michaelertor is the grand Michaelerkirche (St Michael’s Church), the oldest building at Michaelerplatz (which lends its name to the square itself) and considered as one of the most historically and culturally significant church buildings in Vienna. The former parish church of the Austrian imperial court, it is one of the oldest Baroque churches in the city.

Michaelerkirche (St. Michael’s Church)

Originally built in 1221, it was regularly expanded and modified to such an extent that it now consists of an amalgam of architectural styles and its present Neo-Classic facade originated in 1792. Its Baroque porch is topped by Baroque sculpture group, depicting the Fall of the Angels, created by Lorenzo Mattielli. The still Gothic tower dates from the fourteenth century.

The church’s Baroque porch

The Baroque interior is decorated with 14th-century and Renaissance frescoes. The magnificent, vividly carved, gilded organ, the largest in Vienna, was built by Johann David Sieber in 1714 and was once played by Joseph Haydn.

Fall of the Angels (Lorenzo Mattielli)

At the crypt (only be accessed in company of a guide, the catacombs entrance is off the north choir), you can viewed, in open coffins, well preserved (made intact due to the consistent climate) bodies of parishioners buried here between the 15th and 18th centuries and clothed in their burial finery.

Looshaus

When walking towards Michaelertrakt, we hardly noticed the Looshaus (Michaelerplatz 3), one of Vienna’s first modern buildings, opposite the Michaelertor. Built from 1911 – 1912, it was designed by Adolf Loos who was influenced by the nascent skyscraper architecture that he had seen on a trip to the United States He employed a business-like style, with straight lines and little or no decoration.

This building, considered an eye sore back in the day, caused quite a controversy and an outcry due to its modern but rather simple, unadorned façade void of decorations, very unusual in Baroque Vienna, so much so that construction was even temporarily halted and only allowed to continue after Loos promised to decorate the facade with balcony flower boxes. Still, the starkly functional upper facade contrasted dramatically with the nearby fine ornate Baroque architecture.

Raiffeisenbank (Looshaus)

The building caused so much outrage on the part of the Emperor Franz-Joseph I who despised the modern façade of the Looshaus. Declaring that he would never use the Michaelertor ever again, it is said that the curtains in the wing opposite the Looshaus were always closed so that the emperor wouldn’t have to look at it. Today, the Looshaus is a working bank and is considered a groundbreaking example of modern architecture. Visitors are only allowed into the lobby to view the elegant, richly clad interior of polished timber, green marble and mirrors.

Palais Herberstein

Sitting just across from the Looshaus, opposite Herrengasse, is the more conventional Palais Herberstein (Michaelerplatz 2). Built in 1896-1897, it replaced the Palais Dietrichstein-Herberstein, an older structure which was famous for its Café Griensteidl, where a group of young poets, artisans and writers known as Jung-Wien gathered on a regular basis.

Café Griensteidl

The café moved to the nearby Café Central in Palace Ferstel, now the most famous of all cafés in Vienna. In 1990 a new, reconstructed Griensteidl Café opened in Palais Herberstein.

Vicky, Manny, Grace, Jandy, Cheska and Freddie at Michaelerplatz

Michaelerplatz: Vienna, Austria.

Neue Burg (Vienna, Austria)

Posted on 29 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Neue Burg

Upon arrival at the grandiose New Castle (Neue Burg) within the Hofburg Palace Complex, Grace, Vicky, Manny, Cheska, Jandy and I availed of a combination ticket that includes admission to important Imperial collections at three of Neue Burg’s four specialty museums, all branch museums of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which was in urgent need for more exhibition space – the Ephesus Museum, the Sammlung Alter Musikinstrumente (Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments) and the Hofjadg und Rüstkammer (Collection of Arms and Armor).

Check out “Kunsthistorisches Museum,“ “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Picture Gallery” and “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Kunstkammer.”

L-R: Jandy, Grace, Vicky and Cheska

The massive, curved new wing on the southwest, the Neue Berg is the most recent and grandest addition to the Hofburg complex. Designed by Ringstrasse architects Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer, it was built between 1881 and 1913.

Ceiling frescoes

A symbol of architectural overconfidence, the Neue Burg was part of a much larger scheme to make the Hofburg rival the Louvre, if not Versailles. It originally contained the personal memorabilia of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

From the balcony of the terraced central bay on New Castle onto Heroes’ Square, Adolf Hitler, on March 15, 1938, proclaimed, to the tens of thousands of the Viennese gathered outside, the “Anschluss” of Austria into the Third Reich (Deutsches Reich).

The palace’s spectacular Baroque design is reflected both inside and out. The opulent marble staircase displays artifacts removed from the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (now in present-day Turkey).

The marble stairway

The Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments and the Collection of Arms and Armor are only accessible via an elevator at the ticket counter level while the Ephesos Museum can only be reached, from this level, via a 60-step stairway.

Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments

The Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments (Sammlung Alter Musik Instrumente), which arrived at Neue Burg post-war in 1945, contains a wonderfully diverse and impressive array of Renaissance-period musical instruments, including pianos owned by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Joseph Haydn, and the world’s oldest surviving claviorgan (1596).

Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments

Showcasing the musical journey from harpsichord to modern-day piano, highlights in the museum include archaic wind instruments, mandolins and priceless violins.

Check out “Neue Burg – Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments”

Ephesos Museum

The Ephesos Museum features artifacts unearthed during Austrian archaeologists’ excavations, between 1895 and 1906, from the Greek and Roman site at Ephesus in Turkey plus findings from the Greek island of Samothrace, excavated in the 1870s.

Check out “Neue Burg – Ephesos Museum”

Collection of Arms and Armor

The Collection of Arms and Armor (Hofjägd und Rüstkammer), which moved into its palatial new home in 1935, displays to stunning effect, in long, marble-floored corridors, battle armor, worn by both man and beast, dating mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Also on display are fine weaponry, remarkable in terms of size and workmanship (filigree inlay on swords, medieval ceremonial saddles and jeweled Turkish and Syrian maces), the core of which are the personal armories of the Habsburgs.

Check out “Neue Burg – Collection of Arms and Armor”

Aside from the three museums, it houses the reading rooms of the Austrian National Library, the Hofburg Congress Center of international renown, the Hofburg Info Centre, the Imperial Shop and the Weltmuseum Wien (Museum of Ethnology) whose galleries explore the aspects of travel, anthropology and ethnography with exhibits from across the globe.

Austrian National Library

Neue Burg: Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna. Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM. Admission: adults (€12), young people under 19 years (free). Audio guides cost €5. Tel: 01-525–240.

How to Get There:

The closest subway station is Museumsquartier on the U2 line but it’s only a short walk from Volkstheater (U3 and U2), Herrengasse (U3) and Stephansplatz (U3 and U1). By tram/bus, the Ring trams stop practically outside. Take the 1, 2, D or 71 to Burgring.

Hofburg Palace (Vienna, Austria)

Posted on 29 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Hofburg Palace Complex

The popular Hofburg, the extensive former imperial palace complex of the Habsburg dynasty rulers, was the political centre of the monarchy and was their principal imperial winter residence for over 600 years, as Schönbrunn Palace was their summer residence. Previously, the castle of the Austrian rulers had been located on the Am Hof, a square near the Schottenstift (Scottish Monastery).

Check out “Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens”

Since 1279, the Hofburg was the documented seat of government for various empires and republics, housing some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history including kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (from 1438 to 1583 and from 1612 to 1806) and, thereafter, the seat of the Emperor of Austria of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. Today, part of it forms the official residence and workplace of the Austrian Federal President.

Originally a fortified Medieval castle built in the 13th century, the Hofburg area has, over the centuries, been expanded by each emperor to include various residences (with the Amalienburg), the Imperial Chapel (Hofkapelle or Burgkapelle), the Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum) and Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Austrian National Library (Hofbibliothek), the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer), the Burgtheater, the Spanish Riding School (Hofreitschule), the Imperial Horse Stables (Stallburg and Hofstallungen), and the Hofburg Congress Center.

Check out “Kunsthistorisches Museum,” “Imperial Treasury” and “Natural History Museum”

This sprawling, asymmetric complex extends over 240,000 sq.m., consists of 18 wings, 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms in which nearly 5,000 people still work and live today.

The Hofburg faces Heroes Square (Heldenplatz), ordered built under the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph, as part of what was to become an Imperial Forum (Kaiserforum), a two-winged structure reaching beyond the Ringstraße that was never completed. Standing at the foci of Heroes Square are the equestrian statues of Prince Eugene of Savoy and Archduke Charles, the two most important Austrian field marshals.

The statue of Archduke Charles

The Alte Burg (Old Fortress), the oldest part of the Hofburg has, since the 18th century, been called the Schweizertrakt (Swiss Wing) after the Swiss Guards who served as the palace watch. Over the centuries, the palace underwent alterations and, thought the core of the Medieval fortress complex has been preserved, its four corner towers, most of the moat and the drawbridge had to make way for that.

The Swiss Court (Schweizerhof), built during the reign of Emperor Ferdinand I in the style of the Renaissance, corresponds somewhat to a square formed around the oldest sections of the castle which originate from the 13th century and were primarily constructed by the last of the Babenbergers or by Ottakar II of Bohemia. The lower section of this wing once accommodated the imperial kitchen.

Grace and the author at the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer)

Situated here are the Burgkapelle (the Vienna Boys’ Choir still sings on Sundays at High Mass), a Gothic chapel built in 1449; the Schatzkammer, the Imperial Treasury which holds, among other objects, the Imperial Insignia of the Holy Roman Empire (Reichskleinodien) and that of the Empire of Austria); and the Hofmusikkapelle (the Imperial Music Chapel).

Cheska and Kyle entering the Swiss Gate

Its famous Schweizertor, the red-black Swiss Gate, is the main motif in the silver 20 euro Renaissance commemorative coin. The gate, designed by Pietro Ferabosco, is one of only a handful of Renaissance monuments in Vienna. It displays the many titles of Emperor Ferdinand I and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece. It is flanked by two soldiers in period attire, a reminder of the unsettled times which saw Vienna besieged by Turkish armies in 1529, as well as the struggles between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation.

The many titles of Emperor Ferdinand I and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece at the Swiss Gate.

The formerly free-standing Amalienburg (Amalia Residence) wing, across from the Swiss Gate, was named after Empress Amalie Wilhelmine, who used it as her dower residence after the death of husband, Emperor Joseph I.

Grace and Vicky at Amalienburg

Constructed during the 16th century, in the style of the late Renaissance, as the Viennese residence of Emperor Rudolph II, it had already been in use for more than a century. Its last occupant was Empress Elisabeth, whose apartments are today open to the public. The small domed tower has an astronomical clock on its façade.

Astronomical Clock Tower at Amalienburg

The early Baroque Leopoldine Wing (the Leopoldischiner Trakt), connecting the Amalienburg with the Swiss Court, was designed by Italian architect-engineer Filiberto Luchese and built between 1668 and 1680 under Emperor Leopold I. After the Siege of 1683 by the Turks, the Leopold Wing was rebuilt by Giovanni Pietro Tencala with an additional floor installed.

The Leopoldine Wing

During the 18th century, it was occupied by Empress Maria Theresa and, after her death, its magnificent apartments were used as state rooms until the end of the monarchy. The architecture of this wing still bears a connection to the late Renaissance. Since 1946, this wing houses the offices of the Federal President. As well as that of the Amalienburg, the lower section of this wing served as the enormous wine cellar for the Hofburg.

Plaque at the Leopoldine Wing

The Imperial Stables (Stallburg), although not physically connected to the rest of the Hofburg complex, was started in 1559 and were originally built as a residence for Maximilian II, the son of Ferdinand I and the then crown prince. Later, this structure accommodated the art collection (which formed the core of the later Kunsthistorisches Museum from 1889) of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, the art-inclined brother of Emperor Ferdinand III. The first Austrian parliament sat here in 1848. Only later was it used to house the imperial horses. Today, it is still used by the Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule). The famous Lipizzan stallions, can be seen here daily (except on Mondays), at their morning training.

The Winter Riding School (Winterreitschule), where you can watch performances of Lipizzan stallions, is located across from the Stallburg and was also designed by the Baroque architects Lukas von Hildebrandt and Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.

Imperial Chancellery Wing (Reichskanzleitrakt)

The Imperial Chancellery Wing Reichskanzleitrakt, across from the Leopold Wing, was originally planned by Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt and completed in 1730. It accommodated the Aulic Council (Reichshofrat), the offices of the Imperial Vice Chancellor (Reichsvizekanzler). After the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, this wing housed the apartments of the Duke of Reichstadt (Napoleon II) and, from the middle of the 19th century, those of Emperor Francis Joseph I.

Attika with Shield of Kaiser Karl VI

On the Chancellery portals are sculptures, representing the Labors of Hercules, by Lorenzo Mattielli. The Kaisertor (Emperor’s Gate), at the central section, gives access to the imperial apartments. The imposing armorial shield of Emperor Charles VI with the double eagle bearing the Austrian shield in the colors of red, white and red and surmounted by the imperial crown, rises from the edge of the roof.

The originally free-standing Imperial Library (Hofbibliothek), housed on the other side of the complex, was founded by Charles VI. Now called the Prunksaal, it now houses the Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek). Its construction was begun by Baroque court architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and, after Johann’s death in 1723, finished in 1735 by his son Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach. This magnificent hall, the most significant part of the Hofburg in artistic terms, contains the precious book collection of Prince Eugene, an enormous ceiling fresco by Daniel Gran, and statues of emperors by Paul Strudel.

The exterior, decorated with Attika figures, was executed, in 1726, by Lorenzo Mattielli who placed a statue of Pallas Athene, riding on a quadriga, above the main entrance. He also situated Atlas, supporting the celestial globe and flanked by Astronomy and Astrology, on the left portion of the roof and, on the opposite side, Gaia with the terrestrial globe, flanked by allegories of Geometry and Geography.

The present Joseph Square (Josephsplatz), one of the most beautiful locations in Vienna, was created when, from 1763 to 1769, Nicolo Pacassi connected the Imperial Library to the other parts of the Hofburg and its other side to St. Augustine’s Church (Augustinerkirche). At the center of Joseph Square is the equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II by Franz Anton von Zauner.

On the southeast side of Joseph Square, adjacent to the Imperial Library, is the Baroque Augustinian Wing, so identified for its proximity to the Augustinian Church and Monastery. The Augustinian Church (Augustinerkirche), used by the Habsburgs as their court church and also for weddings, was where Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, alias Sisi, were married.

As the Hofburg Palace expanded, the wing became part of it. Because of its structural connections to the Augustinian Monastery, the Archduke Albrecht Palace (formerly Tarouca-de Sylva Palace), home of the Albertina Museum, is also considered part of the Hofburg Palace after the renovation of the Albertina in the 1820s by Joseph Kornhäusel. In early years of the 19th century, Archduke Albrecht and, later, his nephew, Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen, both members of the Habsburg Family, lived in the building.

The Hearts’ Crypt, behind the Loreto side chapel, is a semicircular-shaped annex, separated by an iron door, where 54 hearts of House of Habsburg members are kept in silver urns.

The magnificent Zeremoniensaal (Ceremonial Hall), built for Emperor Franz II/I by the Belgian architect Louis Montoyer at the beginning of the 19th century, was nicknamed as the “Nose of the Hofburg,” derived from the fact that it, for almost a hundred years, formed a clearly visible protrusion at right angles to the Leopold Wing.

Neue Burg

Having a truly imperial aspect, the Zeremoniensaal, fully integrated into the New Castle (Neue Burg), has an ornate coffered ceiling, 26 crystal chandeliers (which once held 1,300 candles) and 24 Corinthian columns with an artificial marble finish (the surface is not real stone but a form of painted gypsum known as stucco lustro).

Check out “Neue Burg”

During an exclusive Ball at the Court held here, Napoleon I asked for the hand of Marie Louise, the daughter of Emperor Franz II/I and, during a traditional Maundy Thursday ceremony, Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth invited twelve poor old men and women to have their feet washed.

The St. Michael’s Wing, originally planned by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, was built from 1889 to 1893, utilizing a slightly altered plan of Ferdinand Kirschner. It serves as the connection between the Winter Riding School and the Imperial Chancellery Wing.

The Redoutensaele (derived from the French word “wikt:redoute” meaning an elegant masked ball), a 17th-century opera house converted into the beautiful dance and concert halls by Maria Theresia, became the setting for a cultivated style of entertainment. Its original plans were drawn up by Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey (de), while the external facades are the work of Nicolò Pacassi and Franz Anton Hillebrandt (de).

Johann Strauss served as musical director to the court for the balls held at the Redoutensaele, and the audience was treated to music by Joseph Haydn, Nicolo Paganini and Franz Liszt and, in 1814, the premiere of Beethoven‘s 8th Symphony took place there. Over the centuries, in line with changing tastes, various modifications have been made in the balls. On November 27, 1992 the whole wing with the Redoutensaele was seriously damaged by fire and the reconstruction and faithful restoration work performed lasted five years. The Redoutensaele reopened in 1998 and, since then, became part of the Hofburg Congress Center.

Fiaker (Horse-Drawn Carriage) inside the Hofburg

Hofburg Palace: Michaelerplatz 1 (Michaelerkuppel), 1010 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 5337570. Open 9 AM-6 PM.

How to Get There:

Underground: U3 Herrengasse

Tram: 1, 2, 71, D Burgring

Bus: 2A, 3A Hofburg

HOP ON HOP OFF: Red Line: Kunsthistorisches Museum / Heldenplatz

Natural History Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Posted on 29 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Natural History Museum (NHM)

The Museum of Natural History (NHM, German: Naturhistorisches Museum), amongst the most splendid of the buildings that line the Vienna Ringstrasse, houses one of the largest natural history collections in the world.

The author trying out a microscope

Cheska and Kyle viewing a brown bear

Jandy beside a coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

Founded 250 years ago by Franz Stephan von Lothringen, the Natural History Museum was built as a cathedral to the natural sciences between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

The main staircase

The building itself, a masterpiece of historical Neo-Renaissance architecture, was opened in 1889 as the Imperial Natural History Museum, at the same time as the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The two museums, on the Ringstraße, facing each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz, have identical exteriors.

The ornate interior

Built to house the huge collection of the Habsburgs, it has timeless elegance. Its ornate decoration, furniture and precious exhibits make it a feast for the eyes for those interested in arts, scienceand architecture. The building itself is an artifact for historical preservation.

One of 39 exhibit halls – ornithological display

Copernican Planetary Machine

Archelon ischyros – world’s largest turtle

Its collection, in 39 exhibit halls against a backdrop of magnificent halls and spread out in 8,700 sq. m. (94,000 sq. ft.), has grown to approximately 30 million objects and artifacts (as of 2011), 25 million of which are the essential basis for the work of over 60 staff scientists.

Dinosaur skulls

Venus of Willendorf

Trilobites

The scientists’s main fields of research cover a wide range of topics, from the origins of the Solar System and the evolution of animals and plants to human evolution, as well as prehistoric traditions and customs. It forms the basis for natural sciences research at the NHM.

Lake Nyrshany – a Carboniferous Ecosystem

Early Sharks and Lobefins (Coelacanths)

Allosaurus fragilis

On display at the first floor are a variety of species from the animal world, from protozoa to insects to highly developed living mammals in modern terraria and aquaria.

A pirarucu (arapaima) from the Amazon River, Brazil

Whale Shark

Zebras

Herpetological display featuring taxidermied crocodiles

Turtles and Tortoises

Anaconda

Those over 200 years old, on their own account, are of particular interest as historical records for the history of science and the art of taxidermy.

Japanese Spider Crab

Komodo Dragon

Tiger-headed Python

Numerous stuffed animals, of species either long-extinct (such as Steller’s sea cow) or extremely endangered, have made the collections truly famous and irreplaceable.

Skeleton of Steller’s Sea Cow

Skeleton of a Fin Whale

Pteranodon ingens

Skull of a Sperm Whale

The upper floor (Hochparterre) displays the following:

precious stones including the unique gemstone-and-diamond bouquet of flowers whichMaria Theresia had made as a present for her husband
minerals (some with origin in old Renaissance collections) including a giant topaz crystal weighing 117 (258 lbs.)
meteorites(the world’s largest and oldest public collection) including the spectacular “Tissint” meteorite from Mars.
rare fossils
prehistoric artworks such as the 25,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf
the enormous dinosaur skeletons including a copy of the skeleton of a Diplodocus dinosaur (Diplodocus carnegii), a gift from Andrew Carnegie.

Austrian Meteorites

Amethyst

Diamonds and Quartz Crystals

Gold nuggets

The giant topaz crystal

Iron Meteorites

Some of the signs and explanations in the museum are in German but, following a recent renovation, much of the museum is now in German and English.

Bradysaurus baini

Dunkleosteus terrelli

Prodeinotherium bavaricum

Natural History Museum : Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 521770. Open 9 AM – 6:30 PM. The museum’s website provides an overview in the form of a virtual tour.

Kollegienkirche (Salzburg, Austria)

Posted on 27 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

On our way to Mozart’s Geburtshaus, we passed by Universitätsplatz (“University Square”) where a farm market takes place here every Monday to Friday. The square lead up to the Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church, sometimes called the Universitätskirche), another elaborate Baroque church of Salzburg. Grace and I went in for a visit.

Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)

The church, dedicated to “Unserer Lieben Frau” (Our Blessed Lady), was built between 1694 and 1707 from the local Benedictine university founded in 1622. The university was disbanded in 1810 but reopened in 1962 as part of the University of Salzburg whose main campus is in the suburb of Nonntal. After Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of 1800, the church was converted into a hay store. Kollegienkirche functioned as a military church and, under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, was a classical secondary school. In 1922, the premiere of the Great World Theater was held here. With the reopening of the University of Salzburg, Kollegienkirche regained its original purpose.

The bright and spacious interior

One of the most celebrated churches in Austria and he largest church in Salzburg from the Baroque period, it was designed by the great Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (who also built the Mirabell Garden, Holy Trinity Church, Markuskirche and Dreifaltigkeitskirche). Attached to the church is the Furtwänglerpark, a lovely piece of green, and the oldest buildings of the university.

Altar built by Josef Anton Pfaffinger in 1735

The Kollegienkirche, built on a modified Greek cross (cruciform) plan, has a unique, ornamental north-facing convex façade with many finely wrought details. It is flanked by two free standing bell towers. On the top of the façade are four tapering statues resting on a coping which is bordered by balustrades.

Figures above the tabernacle

Its spacious and bright interior, with its very steep proportions, is one of the most impressive and unusual creations in Baroque style. It is filled with elaborate stucco works, large windows surrounded by delicate decorative features, the coat of arms of Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun set in the closing gable area, angels and an eye-catching Maria Immaculata statue, designed by Fischer von Erlach and Diego Francesco Carlone, framed by statues of the Four Evangelists on the left tower and of the four Church Fathers on the right, all done by Michael Bernhard Mandl. The porch is separated from the nave by three round-arched arcades. The cupola and transept are situated exactly in the center.

Initially, instead of a high altar, the Kollegienkirche choir originally held only a high tabernacle of stone. Today, however, the church does have an altar, made by Josef Anton Pfaffinger and dating from 1735. Its seven classical columns (representing the Seven Pillars of Wisdom), of red marble, in the center hall, are topped by angels, with St. Michael the Archangel in the middle.

Around the tabernacle are figures, surmounted by throned allegorical figures representing Faith, depict the various aspects of the human spirit. Above the angels is a stucco aureole of clouds, rays and putti (cherubs) encircling the floating Immaculate Virgin. This design, by Fischer von Erlach, was executed by Diego Francesco Carlone and Paolo d`Allio.

The elaborate side nave altars bear remarkably intense colors. The altar paintings on the left hand side were made by Johann Michael Rottmayr in 1721 and depict St. Barromäus. The painting is flanked by St. Rupert and St. Vergillius. The altar paintings on the right hand side, painted by Rottmayr in 1722, depicts St. Benedict baptizing a pagan chief. It is flanked by St. Erentrude and St. Scholastika. The Stations of the Cross, depicting the passion of Jesus Christ, adorn the spandrels.

Statue of St. Joachim

Statue of St. John

The statues in the side chapels refer to the “Fakultäten,” the schools of the university: St. Thomas Aquinas (school of theology), St. Luke (school of medicine), St. Ivo (school of law) and St. Catherine (school of philosophy). The sparse use of sculptures and stucco works aims to highlight the architecture.

Statue of St. Leonard

Kollegienkirche: Universitätsplatz (University Square), 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel:+43 662 841327. Open daily, 9 AM – 6 PM.

Residenz Palace (Salzburg, Austria)

Posted on 27 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Residenz Palace

Salzburg Residenz, a Baroque palace located at Domplatz and Residenzplatz in the old part of the city has, throughout the centuries, been the residence of the Archbishops of Salzburg (who used the palace to present and represent their political status) as well as a place of public gatherings and state affairs, all taking place in a setting that reflected power and grandeur.

Along with Salzburg Cathedral and St. Peter’s Abbey, the Salzburg Residenz is one of the three buildings which provide the backdrop for the Dom Quartier (opened in 2014). The Residenz Palace is also, alongside with the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom, probably the most important historic building of Salzburg.

Check out “Salzburg Cathedral,” “Hohensalzburg Fortress“ and “St. Peter’s Cemetery“

Today, the Salzburg Residenz, one of the most impressive attractions in the city, houses the Residenzgalerie (visited separately from the palace), a museum intended to replace the art collection of the prince-archbishops, which had been lost during the Napoleonic wars in the early nineteenth century. Intended to support a planned academy of art, as well as promote tourism, it houses paintings from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, and Austrian paintings from the nineteenth century.

The so-called Tuscany Wing (Toskanatrakt), in the north, is used by the School of Law and the law faculty of Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. The palace is also used during the Salzburg Festival, for state receptions, conferences and international congresses can also be rented for private occasions. The Knights’ Hall, with its excellent acoustics, is ideal for concerts and other events.

We were able to visit the palace using our Salzburg Card but photography wasn’t allowed inside. During our visit, the exhibit “Seduction: Tempting Beauty, Deadly Charm” (July 10 – November 1, 2015) was ongoing.

Here is the historical timeline of the palace:

The earliest recorded reference to the bishop’s palace was in a document dated 1232. Construction began under Archbishop Conrad I.
In the sixteenth century, several changes and additions to the structure were made.
Under the auspices of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587–1612), the bishop’s palace took on its present appearance.
In 1606, the Hofbogengebäude and Wallistraktwere finished.
In the early seventeenth century, work began on the south wing, which included the addition of the large staircase and the Carabinieri-Saal, a section that connected the palace to the Franziskanerkirche and a large courtyard.
To allow the Residenz Palace to blend in visually with the Salzburger Dom, Prince Archbishop Guidobald Reichsgraf von Thun (1654 to 1668) added a floor to the main building.
In 1660, the Carabinieri-Saal was enlarged
In 1689, the elaborate stucco work and the three paintings on the ceiling of the Carabinieri-Saal were finished
In 1690, the additional floor at the Wallistrakt was completed.
Around 1710, the façade was renewed under Prince Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach according to a design by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.
In 1714, the ceiling paintings at the Rittersaal were completed.
During the 19th century, the Residenz Palace was temporarily used as a private palace by some members of the Austrian royal family as well as the line of Habsburg-Toskana.
Through to the end of the eighteenth century, the successors of Wolf Dietrich continued to expand and refine the palace.
On May 1, 1816, Emperor Francis I accepted homage and the oath of allegiance from the civic leaders of Salzburg at the Knights’ Hall, marking the beginning of Salzburg as a part of Austria.
In 1867, Emperor Franz Joseph I received Emperor Napoleon III at the Residenz.
In 1919, a plan to assemble an art gallery was proposed by the Residenzmuseum.
In 1922, planning for the Residenzgalerie was completed by Eduard Hütte, the official curator of Salzburg.
In 1923, the Residenzgalerie was opened

Ticket counter

During our visit, we first stepped into the Carabinieri-Saal, the sala grande of the Salzburg Residenz. The Carabinieri-Saal, used as a common room for the Prince Archbishop′s bodyguards, but also for theatre and banquettes or balls, and Rittersaal Halls, also called Prunkräume or “glorious rooms” (State Apartments), are the two most important halls for representative purposes in the Residenz Palace.

The elaborate stucco work of the Carabinieri-Saal was made by Francesco and Karlo Antonio Brenno and Antonio Carabelli. The three paintings on the ceiling, painted by Johann Michael Rottmayr depict representations of the four elements – Neptune rules over the wind (water and air), the Calydonian hunt for boars (earth) and the workshop of Vulcanus (fire). The smaller artworks in the corners represent the four gods of wind. The four gates, made of marble, date back to around 1610.

Illuminated fountain at Residenzgalerie yard

The Rittersaal, bordering the Carabinieri-Saal, has ceiling paintings, done by Johann Michael Rottmayr, depicting scenes from the life of Alexander the Great, mainly his taming of the horse Bucephalus. Over the mantelpieces are plastic allegories and armor trophies. A gate towards the east, dating back to 1770, connects the Residenz Palace with the Salzburger Dom.

The Wallistrakt, a wing of the prince archiepiscopal Salzburg Residenz, is a composition of various architectural components built during different construction stages. The only original wing contains a two-storey hall with a central pillar in Tuscany style that was taken from the old cathedral.

Due to several re-constructions and changes of proprietors, the apartment here hasn’t been dealt with as a part of the prince archiepiscopal residence. It connects the Residenz Palace with a pillar hall over the Franziskanergasse alley.

On the northern side of the Wallistrakt are two Roman mosaics from the 3rd century, found during the 1964 to 1965 renovation work, added to the arcades.

The so-called Hofbogengebäude was originally a place of accommodation for the apartment of prince archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau.

There was enough space in the medieval Frohnhof (the forecourt of the cathedral) to quickly build a new living unit for the prince archbishop without disturbing the procedures of the residence or having to redeem civic houses. After the Hofbogengebäude was completed, the medieval Residence was open to further renovation and modernization.

To the north, the Hofbogengebäude was connected directly to the Carabinieri-Saal hall. From there, the second floor apartment extended southwards to the prince archbishop’s private chambers in the very south of the building. From there, a richly stuccoed staircase led to a garden hall which opened towards the Hofgärtl, a giardino segreto (secret garden) located in the west surrounded by a high garden wall.

Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and Grace making their way down a stairway

The buildings of the Toskanatrakt wing, ordered erected by Prince Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo (1772–1803), replaced former wings from the time of Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (Colloredo planned to rebuild the western wings in Neo-Classic style, but only the Toskanatrakt wing was altered).

Its façade bears decorations around the windows that date back to the late 18th century. The northern wing consists of arcades, built in the early 17th century, with ionic pillars that span two floors. The southeast corner, dating back to the first building period of the Residenz Palace, contains a staircase and stucco work from around 1600.

The first floor Steinsaal hall contains elaborate stucco decorations from the 18th and 19th century while the second floor Toskana Appartement (Tuscany apartment) contains a ceiling and walls with stucco work from 1862.

Odysseus and the Sirens (Ferdinand Alexander Bruckmann, 1829)

Salzburg Residenz: Residenzstraße 1, München, Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +49 89 290671. Open 10 AM – 5 PM.

Salzburg Cathedral (Austria)

Image

Salzburg Cathedral

This cathedral, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, is dedicated to Saint Rupert and Saint Vergilius. It was founded by St. Rupert on the remnants of a Roman town. The first cathedral was built under Saint Vergilius of Salzburg, who might have used foundations by St. Rupert.

The present seventeenth-century Baroque cathedral was built in the seventeenth century under Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau (also responsible for the building of the nearby Alten Residenz, which is today connected to the cathedral), a patron and supporter of modern Italian Baroque architecture, having seen it from its origins in Italy and particularly Rome.

Statues of diocesean and cathedral patrons. The coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Guidobald von Thun and Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun are at the bases.

Here’s a historical timeline of the cathedral’s construction:

In 774, the first Dom was recorded.
From 767 to 774, the so-called 66 m. long and 33 m. wide Virgil Dom was built
Archbishop Arno (785 – 821) was the first to arrange renovations of the Dom, which was in place for less than 70 years.
In 842, the building burned down after being struck by lightning.
Three years later, the re-erection of the building started.
Between 1000 and 1080, under Archbishop Hartwig, a long choir with a crypt was built and an extension of the rebuilt cathedral was built towards the towards the west
From 1106 to 1147, under Archbishop Konrad I, the west towers were built
In 1167, the Virgil Dom was seriously damaged in a fire.
In 1181, the cathedral was rebuilt during the reign of Archbishop Konrad III
During the early Middle Ages, the original church experienced at least three extensive building and rebuilding campaigns, the final result of which was a somewhat ad hoc Romanesque basilica.
In 1598, the basilica was severely damaged in a fire
After several failed attempts at restoration and reconstruction, Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau (Archbishop from 1587–1612) ordered that the building be finally demolished.
In 1614, Mark Sittich von Hohenems (Archbishop from 1612–19 and Wolf Dietrich’s successor), laid the cornerstone of the new cathedral.
In 1628, remarkably in less than 15 years, the cathedral was completed. That same year, the Marienglocke and the Virgilglocke, the oldest bells in the cathedral, were both cast.
On September 24, 1628, the cathedral was consecrated by Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron.
In 1652 and 1655, the towers were finished.
Between 1766 and 1771, the Maria Immaculata (Immaculate Mary) column was executed by brothers Wolfgang and Johann-Baptist Hagenauer.
During World War II, the cathedral was damaged when a single bomb crashed through the central dome over the crossing.
From 1945 to 1959, the Salzburger Dom was rebuilt in its original shape and reopened by Archbishop Andreas Rohracher.
On September 24, 1961, 5 new bells were added.

Coats of arms of Markus Sittikus and Paris Londron at the tympanum

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the cathedral:

The present cathedral was built partially upon the foundations of the old basilica. Indeed, the foundation stones of the preceding church building may be seen in the Domgrabungen, an excavation site under the cathedral that also features mosaics and other artifacts found here when this location was the forum of the Roman city Juvavum.
Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi was hired by Wolf Dietrich to prepare a plan for a comprehensive new Baroque building but the present cathedral was designed by Santino Solari, who fundamentally changed the original Scamozzi plan.
At the cathedral’s consecration, 12 choirs positioned in the marble galleries of the cathedral sang a Te Deum composed by Stefano Bernardi, the Kapellmeister to the Salzburg court. The score has since been lost.
One other surviving relic that predates the Baroque edifice is the 14th century Gothic baptismal font.
Salzburg Cathedral still contains the baptismal font in which composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.
When the cathedral was completed, the relics of St. Rupert were transferred here.
The finished church is 466 ft. long and 109 ft. high at the crossing/dome.
The Baroque style can be seen in the choir and the nave.
The Salvatorglocke (“salvation bell”) of the cathedral, weighing 14,256 kgs., is the 2nd largest bell in Austria, after the Pummerin bell in Vienna Cathedral

Statues of the Four Evangelists

The cathedral is located adjacent to Residenzplatz and Domplatz (accessed by three open arcade arches in the north, south, and west) in the Altstadt (Old Town) area of Salzburg.

Statue of St. Paul

The “cathedral arches” unite the cathedral with the Salzburg Residenz and St. Peter’s Abbey , forming a unique self-contained square. It is 101 m. long, 69 m. wide and 81 m. high.

Statue of St. Peter

The richly decorated façade, made of bright Untersbergmarmor (Untersberg mountain marble) and divided into three horizontal sections, is framed by two towers and a curved gable.

Statue of St. Rupert

Three high round arches or portals, at the lower section, provide access to three bronze doors and are flanked by four large sculpted figures representing the diocesean and cathedral patrons.

Statue of St. Virgilius

The mitered figures of St. Rupert, holding a salt barrel, and St. Virgilius, holding a church, were created c. 1660 by Bartholomäus van Opstal. The inside figures of St. Peter, holding keys, and St. Paul, holding a sword, were sculpted c. 1697 by Bernhard Michael Mandl, who also created all the pedestals.

Interior of the cathedral

The coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Guidobald von Thun and Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun are at the bases. The mantelpieces, over the central windows, contain a lion and an ibex (the animals depicted in the coats-of-arms) and a golden crown that aligns with the Marien column in the Domplatz.

The main altar

The statues of the Four Evangelists (Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke and Saint John), at the central section of the façade, represent the salvation offered through their preaching. The coats-of-arms of the builders of the cathedral, Markus Sittikus and Paris Londron, are at the top section tympanum.

The cathedral dome with frescoes depicting scenes from the Old Testament around it. Above it are the coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron and Archbishop Andreas Roracher. At the corners are paintings of the Four Evangelists.

The figure group on the pediment, representing the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Tabor, shows Christ as Salvator Mundi, with Moses holding the tablets on the left and the prophet Elijah to the right. Tommaso di Garona, the mason who built the Residenz Fountain, created the three statues in 1660. An old oven, used for baking communion bread, is housed in the north tower.

The main nave with paintings showing scenes from the life (10 smaller ones) and passion (15 large ones) of Christ, done by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari.

The three bronze gates inside the portals, representing the 3 divine virtues (Göttliche Tugenden) of faith, hope and love, were erected in 1957 and 1958. The Gate of Faith (Tor des Glaubens ), on the left, was created by Toni Schneider-Manzell (1911-1996); the Gate of Love (Tor der Liebe), at the center, was created by Giacomo Manzù (1908-1991); and the Gate of Hope (Tor der Hoffnung), on the right, was created by Ewald Mataré (1887-1965). The flanking towers, also divided into three horizontal units, bear clocks and the bells.

Paintings on the main nave, showing scenes from the life (10 smaller ones) and passion (15 large ones) of Christ, were done by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari. The stucco works were done in white (and crested by black stucco) by Guiseppe Bassarino around 1628. Four chapels, on each side along the main nave, each have a side altar and palatine frescos.

The 71 m. high dome, with two rows of eight frescos each, displays scenes from the Old Testament that relate to the life and passion scenes from the nave. They were also painted by by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari.

On top of these paintings are paintings of the Four Evangelists (Mark, Luke, Matthew and John) and, beyond that, the coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron and Archbishop Andreas Roracher.

On the left and right side of the nave are motives of St. Francis and Virgin Mary respectively. To the left and right of the St. Francis Altar are epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Leopold Anton von Firmian (died in 1744), Guidobald von Thun (died in 1668), Max Gandolf von Kuenburg (died in 1687) and Jakob E. von Liechtenstein (died in 1747).

Around the Virgin Mary Altar are epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Andreas J. Dietrichstein (died in 1753), Johann E. Thun (died in 1709), Franz A. Harrach (died in 1727) and Siegismund Schrattenbach (died in 1772).

The main altar, probably built by Santio Solari in 1628, has a painting depicting the Resurrection of Christ and made by Donato Mascagni.

Above the painting are statues of St. Rupert and St. Virgil as well as allegories of Religio and Caritas. Between the figures is an inscriptions that reads: Notas mihi fecisi vias vitae (“You showed me the way of life”).

On top of the altar there are statues of angels holding golden crucifixes. The right and left hand side of the main altar has epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Markus Sittikus (died in 1619) and Paris Lodron (died in 1653) respectively.

The main altar backdrop with a painting depicting the Resurrection of Christ made by Donato Mascagni

On the right hand side of the main altar is the entrance to the crypt (the tombs of the Archbishops of Salzburg) based on the foundations of the Romanesque Virgil Cathedral.

The Zehneckraum (“Ten corner room”) contains the tombs of the Prince Archbishops from the 17th to the 18th century. In the round tower is a mosaic showing the scale of the former Salzburger Dom in comparison to today′s cathedral.

The new organ built in 1988

The organ that is in use for services today was built in 1988. The old organ is essentially the same as the one built by the famous organ builder Josef Christoph Egedacher in 1703.

The old organ built in 1703 by Josef Cristoph Egedacher

Salzburg Cathedral: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 80477950. Open 8AM-5PM. From June to September, there is a one-hour organ recital every Wednesday and Saturday at 11.15.

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (Mondsee, Austria)

Posted on 27 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 3 Comments ↓

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

The last leg of our “Original Sound of Music Tour,” via Panorama Tours, brought us to Mondsee, a quaint and colorful town of lush countryside, shops and restaurants, where we made our final stopover at the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel situated right smack in the middle of the town center. We were given an hour to explore the area.

Maria (Julie Andrews) von Trapp walking down the aisle of St. Michael’s Basilica in the film “Sound of Music.”

Another movie scene of Maria walking down the aisle. Behind is the Wolfgang Altar

Do you remember Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Georg (Christopher Plummer) von Trapp’s wonderfully famous wedding scene at the “Sound of Music?” This is where the wedding in the film took place (though, in real life, they got married at Nonnberg Abbey where Maria was a postulant). The exterior of the church was never shown in the movie, as it was then under renovation.

Maria and Captain von Trapp at the high altar

Maria and Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) at the high altar

The bright and welcoming yellow and white, Late Gothic-style and three-aisled St. Michael’s Basilica, located next door to the monastery building (founded by Bavarian Duke Odilo II in 748, it has been restored and turned into a classy hotel) and courtyards, is the cultural and spiritual heart of the Mondsee region.

View of pipe organ from high altar

The second biggest church in Upper Austria, it is also one of the most prominent and largest monuments in Austria. This former Benedictine abbey church, officially as Pfarrkirche St Michael, was constructed under the direction of Abbot Benedikt Eck and consecrated in 1487.

High Altar designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger

The pink and white ceiling with snowflake-like designs

In 2005, Pope John Paul II upgraded the church to a minor basilica and, that same year, a huge restoration and renovation of the interior began that included every part of the basilica. During one of the many restorations, the framing on the Gothic vaults have been discovered to have been painted in the original light pink color. It took 3 years to complete and, in 2009, the church was reopened and was conferred the title “Austria’s Monument of the Year.”

The basilica has two 52-m. high towers and statues of Saints Peter and Paul on the façade. For architecture buffs like me, it is unassuming on the outside but beautiful inside. We entered the basilica through a small lovely gift shop which helps in the upkeep of the basilica. The beautiful Baroque interior, dating back to the 17th century, features Baroque-style altars collaboratively created by Matthais Wichlhammer and the famous Swiss Baroque sculptor Meinrad Guggenbichler, outstanding pieces of work, with lots of black and gold, that are really stunning and nothing short of extravagant.

Poor Souls Altar

The light and airy interior, exactly the same as it was when the movie was filmed, was even more impressive when we looked at the ornate details up close. The ceiling, with soft almost pink snowflake-like designs on a clean white background, was also beautiful.

Wolfgang Altar

Seven of these altars were carved by Meinrad Guggenbichler who, from 1680, dedicated much of his life to beautifying the monastery. Its 18 m. high early Baroque high altar. with the relics of Abbot Konrad II, dates from 1626 and was designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger.

Altar Josef

More altars were then built in the monastery church. These included the Holy Spirit Altar, the Wolfgang Altar, the Corpus Christi Altar, the Poor Souls Altar, the Sebastian Altar and the St. Peter Altar. Later, other altars were added, this time by Franz Anton Koch. These were the John Altar, the Altar Josef, the Anna or Virgin Altar and Antonius Altar. The altar cross was put together by a Mondsee sculptor.

Antonius Altar

Once up the high altar, we could see the equally beautiful and impressive pipe organ at the opposite end of the basilica. There are also additional artifacts to be viewed at the museum attached to the basilica. The gilded statues and paintings made me wonder where they got the resources for such extravagance.

Altar of Annunciation (1680) by Meinrad Guggenbichler

I am not used to seeing such splendor. One of the most photographed churches all over the world, this cinematically famous basilica is visited by more than 200.000 people each year. Even if you are not a “Sound of Music” movie fan, the elegant and classy St Michael’s Basilica is still worth spending time walking through.

John Altar

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel: Kirchgasse 1, Mondsee 5310, Austria. Tel: +43 6232 4166. Open daily, 9 AM – 7 PM. Although entrance to the basilica is free, there is a small admission fee for the museum.

The museum

Gift Shop

How to Get There: Bus140 from Salzburg runs every 30 minutes and takes approximately 50 minutes (25 kms.) to reach Mondsee.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens (Salzburg, Austria)

Posted on 26 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

The Grand Parterre of Mirabell Gardens

After checking in and freshening up at Hotel Garni Evido Salzburg City Center, we all met up at the lobby to begin our exploration of the city, starting with the nearby Mirabell Palace and Gardens, a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most beautiful Baroque gardens in Europe, it was built along a north-south axis and oriented towards the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

View, from Rose Hill, of the Small Parterre, Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress

The palace, outside the medieval walls of Salzburg, was built about 1606 according to Italian and French models, at the behest of Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau as a residence for his mistress Salome Alt. From their union, 15 children were born, 10 of whom survived. When von Raitenau was deposed and arrested in 1612, Salome and her family were expelled. After Wolf Dietrich’s death, the palace was renamed “Mirabell” (from the Italian word mirabile, bella meaning “amazing” or “wonderful”) by his successor, Markus Sittich von Hohenems.

Mirabell Palace

Prince-Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach had Mirabell Palace redesigned, according to plans designed by the famous architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, in a lavish Baroque style from 1721 to 1727, integrating the individual buildings into a self-contained complex. On June 1, 1815 the later King Otto of Greece was born here, while his father, the Wittelsbach crown prince Ludwig I of Bavaria served as stadtholder in the former Electorate of Salzburg.

Rosenhugel (Rose Hill)

On April 30, 1818, the palace was damaged by the great fire that swept through the city. A number of frescoes, including those by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Gaetano Fanti, were destroyed by the flames but the masterly grand marble staircase that led into the palace and the marble hall, one of the most precious works of art at Mirabell Palace, survived unscathed.

From about 1818, Mirabell Palace owes its present unassuming Neoclassical appearance to Peter de Nobile, the court’s architectural consultant and director of the Vienna School of Architecture. The edging of the windows, the capitals and stucco work are details that bear witness to the palace’s former splendor. Charming putti (cherubs) decorate the marble balustrade and the sculptures in the niches, all among the finest products of the European Baroque, are the work of the famous Georg Raphael Donner.

The Rape of Persephone

Aeneas and Anchises

On June 3, 1944 Gretl Braun, the sister of Eva Braun (later to marry Adolf Hitler), married SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler‘s liaison officer on Hitler’s staff, at the Mirabell Palace, with Hitler, Himmler and Martin Bormann as witnesses. Eva made all the wedding arrangements.

Rape of Helen by Paris

Today, Mirabell Palace houses the offices of Salzburg’s mayor and the municipal council (its rooms are not open to the public). The Marble Hall, considered to be one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world, was formerly the prince-archbishops’ ballroom and a concert venue for Leopold Mozart and his children Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart. Meetings, awards ceremonies and romantic concerts (Salzburg Palace Concerts) are regularly held here. Mirabell Palace is also a popular location for weddings.

The author at the Grand Panterre

Grace at the Grand Parterre Fountain

The famous, geometrically-arranged Mirabell Gardens was redesigned, under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun, in 1689 based on plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, and completely remodeled around 1730 by Franz Anton Danreiter. Noted for its boxwood layouts, it has mythology-themed statues dating from 1730.

Grace and Jandy

The “Grand Parterre,” the oldest part of the Mirabell Gardens that is still preserved, is embraced by a marble railing decorated with vases by Fischer von Erlach.

Vase by Fischer von Erlach

In the heart of the garden is a large fountain, with four statue groups sculpted by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto from 1690 around it – “The Rape of Prosperina,” “The Rape of Helena by Paris,” “Aeneas and Anchises,” and “Hercules and Antaeus,” symbolizing the 4 elements (fire, air, earth and water).

Statues of Roman gods and goddesses

On the balustrades are statues of Roman gods and goddesses (Ceres, Pomona. Venus, Vesta, Juno and Chronos, Bacchus, Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Vulcan, Hermes and Apollo) made by B. van Opstal in 1689.

The Heckentheater (Hedge Theater), a hedge maze located in the main part of the Mirabell Gardens, was created between 1704 and 1718 and is one of the oldest hedge theaters north of the Alps. The Heckentheater is still used for performances in the summer, including concerts of the Salzburg Festival.

The Von Trapp children at the Hedge Theater

The Zwergerlgarten (Dwarf Garden) features a number of misshapen creatures, made of white Untersberg marble, dating back to the time of Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach. In 1854, the gardens were opened to the public by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Kyle and Cheska at the Small Panterre

The “Small Parterre,” the part of the Mirabell Gardens just along the backside of the Mirabell Palace, is directly attached to the Grand Parterre. At its core is the Pegasus Fountain with a copper statue of Pegasus made in 1661 by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck for the well on the Kapitelplatz near the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

Pegasus Fountain

There it stayed until 1690. After that time, it was used for the well on the Mirabellplatz Square until the great fire of 1818, and finally transferred to its current location in 1913. From Rosenhügel ( “Rose Hill”), we had a beautiful view all over the Small Parterre towards Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the Small Panterre

Several scenes from the 1965 movie The Sound of Music were recorded here. Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children (Charmian Carr as Liesl, Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich, Heather Menzies as Louisa, Duane Chase as Kurt, Angela Cartwright as Brigitta, Debbie Turner as Marta and Kym Karath as Gretl) sing ‘Do-Re-Mi‘ while dancing around the Pegasus Fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.

Fraulein Maria and the children at the Grand Parterre Fountain

Mirabell Palace and Gardens: Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 80720. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurdays, 8 AM – 4 PM; Tuesdays and Fridays, 1 – 4 PM. No visit in case of special occasions. The Mirabell Gardens are open daily from approximately 6 AM to dusk. Admission is free. The Hedge Theater and Dwarf Garden are closed during the winter. The Orangerie is open all year round, 9 AM – 4 PM.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.