Central Cathedral of Vienna. St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna: historical fate and architectural features. Opening hours, tours and tickets

St. Stephen's Cathedral on Stephansplatz is a symbol of Vienna and one of the most important attractions in all of Austria.

History of the cathedral

The temple is located in the center of the old town on St. Stephen's Square (Stephensplatz). The first cathedral on this site was built in 1137-1147. Within its current borders, this religious building was built in the 13th-15th centuries and acquired its modern appearance only by 1511.

Construction and foundation

Bishop Reginmar of Passau, together with Margrave Leopold IV, founded the first Viennese church in 1137. Ten years later, the Romanesque-style building was completed. In 1230-1245 it was expanded to the west; since then the Romanesque (western) wall of the temple with a portal and two towers has been preserved. Later they were rebuilt in the Gothic style. This church burned down in 1258.

In its place in 1263, the second Viennese church was built, using the same Romanesque style. On April 23, the consecration of the cathedral took place; this event is celebrated to this day. Under Albert I and Albert II in 1304-1340, the three-nave Albert choir was added - they occupied the entire transept. The northern nave was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the middle nave to St. Stephen and all the saints, and the southern nave to the twelve apostles.

On the site of the modern southern tower, Rudolf IV in 1359 laid the first stone of a new church, made in the Gothic style. In the plans of the architects of the 14th century, the walls of the new building were placed outside the existing church, and only after that it was possible to dismantle the walls of the old one. It took almost thirty years to cover the vault of the new temple. In 1450 the Eagle Tower was founded.

Its construction stopped in 1511, when difficult times came and funding became scarce. So it remains unfinished to this day. Its height is half that of the southern one, and it barely exceeds 68 meters.

There is a legend that the towers were once identical. According to this tale, the master supervising the construction of the tower sold his soul to the devil so that he would contribute to the quickest completion of the work. When he helped, the builder refused to fulfill his obligations and the angry devil brought down half the tower.

Historical fate

For three centuries, St. Stephen's Church remained a parish church. The margraves of Austria tried to establish an episcopal see in Vienna, but the bishops of Passau (the spiritual rulers of Austria at that time) resisted this in every possible way. Only in 1469 was the Vienna diocese established under pressure from Emperor Frederick III. During these events, the cathedral became a cathedral. In 1476-1487, the composer and sculptor Wilhelm Rollinger installed unique carved choirs inside the church, and in 1513 an organ was installed in the temple.

The religious and Austro-Turkish wars of the 16th-17th centuries changed the structure little. At that time, the ideology of Pietas Austriaca, baroque in form and Catholic in spirit, prevailed in Austria, and the interiors of the temple were redesigned in the baroque style. Work began in 1647 with a new Baroque altar. It was made by Johann Jakob and Tobias Pock. Two images of the Virgin Mary date from 1693 and 1697, two side altars were installed in 1700. After the expulsion of the Turks from Vienna in 1722, the status of the cathedral and diocese was raised to archbishopric.

Recovery and restoration

During World War II, the building was not damaged by bombing and withstood the first days of the Soviet Vienna offensive, which began on April 2, 1945. General Sepp Dietrich ordered German artillery to destroy the city center during the retreat from Vienna.

The order was not carried out, but the cathedral still suffered: local looters set fire to the looted shops on April 11, 1945, and from them the fire spread to the Church of St. Stephen. Only the pulpits and the most valuable relics were preserved, since they were protected by brick sarcophagi.

Damage sustained during the fire:

• the roof collapsed from the fire;
• the largest bell, the Pummerin, fell off and fell inside the tower, causing it to break;
• the interiors (including the 15th-century Rollinger choir) were almost completely destroyed;
• The large romantic organ of the Walcker company burned down.

Fundraising was organized to restore the roof; in 1950, it was covered with ceramic tiles. The restoration work was finally completed only in 1960. In the eighties, the next stage of restoration began, which continues to this day.

The main problem of St. Stephen's Church is the destruction of walls and statues. Master restorers are forced to constantly replace stone fragments. The process is complicated by the need to use original medieval tools, although some of the work is performed by computer-controlled machines.

Current situation

Today it is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Europe, which the residents of Vienna call the soul of their city. Built in the 12th century, the church is today the most significant and well-preserved Gothic structure in Austria. Its southern tower reaches a height of almost 137 meters - it is the third tallest tower in central Europe. The Viennese affectionately nicknamed her Steffl.

The temple is named after the first Christian saint. Stephen - a Jerusalem martyr, stoned to death for his faith. The temple has become a symbol of centuries-old perseverance. St. Stephen's Church in Vienna is located in the historical medieval quarter and houses unique crucifixes, stained glass windows, sculptural compositions and a bishop's pulpit. At the same time, the temple is famous for its catacombs, where the remains of the Austrian emperors are buried.

Church location

The actual address of St. Stephen's Cathedral: Austria, Vienna, Stephansplatz, building 3.

Places nearby:

• Do and Go restaurant;
• Hotel Am Stephansplatz Vienna;
• Haas House;
• Govienna City Apartments;
• Wien;
• Kärtnerstrasse.

How to get there

You can get to Vienna by train or plane. The city itself has many public transport routes, as well as a metro.

You need to get to the cathedral on it as follows: you need to get off at Stephansplatz station at the intersection of the first (red) or third (orange) lines.

The temple itself should never be missed, as it rises above the rest of the buildings in the square and its towers are visible from everywhere. You can also navigate them while walking.

Architecture and decoration of the building

The Romanesque church, named after St. Stephen, began to be rebuilt in 1230. It was planned to build a temple in the late Romanesque style. When the fire happened, most of the building was already completed. The style of the temple remained Gothic, but the features of the structure later changed during reconstructions. Only under Rudolf IV did Stefansdom acquire the appearance that has survived to this day.

Appearance

Centuries-old history is reflected in the appearance of the cathedral. By the beginning of the nineteenth century it had become so dilapidated that it was a pitiful sight. During restoration work, we tried as much as possible to preserve its medieval Gothic appearance.

Building dimensions (in meters):

• height of the southern tower - 136.44;
• height of the northern tower (still under construction) - 68.3;
• height of the walls of the side naves - 60;
• length and width of the cathedral at ground level - 198.2×62;
• the height of the vaults of the central nave is 28.

The cathedral is a square structure, the facade of which consists of stepped buttresses and narrow arched windows. In Vienna it is one of the most representative examples of late Gothic architecture; the sculptural decoration of the interior halls and facade is unique. The architecture of the temple is also distinguished by the patterns of the tiled roof - one of the most striking and memorable parts of the temple.

The history of patterned roofs dates back to the Middle Ages. Patterns, inscriptions and dates decorated mainly the main buildings of Vienna - cathedrals and town halls. Such cladding was expensive - many houses at that time were covered with straw.

Historians cannot name the exact date of the appearance of the patterns, but by the end of the fifteenth century, patterns of different shades of red covered the roof. Over time, new patterns and colors were added to the designs.

The roof had to be completely covered after it collapsed during a fire in 1945. Instead of wooden rafters, metal ones were installed, and tiles were laid on the new slopes. The date of completion of the work can be seen right there on the panel with the coat of arms - these are the numbers 1950. The best way to view the roof is from the cathedral tower.

South Tower

During the time of the Habsburgs, no church in Austria-Hungary could be higher than the southern tower of St. Stephen - its height is 136 meters, 343 steps lead to it. She played an important role in the life of the city.

During a military threat, the guards on it organized duty and monitored the movements of the enemy from above, and in peacetime they carried out a different kind of duty on it - they monitored fires and fires that started. Early response was especially important in the Middle Ages, when an entire city could be destroyed by a single house fire. The ringing of bells from the tower announced joyful events and misfortunes.

North Tower

The famous Hans Puchsbaum, the creator of the northern tower, planned to repeat the forms of the southern one, stretching the proportions a little more and changing the details. The Eagle Tower remained unfinished after his death. G. Puksbaum was also a talented artist: about fifty drawings made by him were preserved in the construction workshop of the cathedral. Inside the tower is another of his works - the Chapel of St. Barbara.

On the western side there is a statue of Christ. He is depicted with such a facial expression that people call the sculpture “The Lord Suffering from Toothache.” One day several guys came to look at her. They stood and laughed, when suddenly everyone’s teeth hurt so badly that they could neither drink nor eat, and relief came only after a prayer of repentance.

There are documents about the casting of bells in the 13th-15th centuries. They were destroyed by fire, fell and split, but they were cast again and put in place of the lost ones. By the 19th century, all towers acted as bell towers, each with its own set of bells. The bells have their own names, reflecting their original functions. The most famous is Pummerin, a symbol of freedom and the fight for it. It was cast from captured cannons in 1711 in honor of the deliverance from the Turkish siege.

It weighed twenty-one tons and sounded only a few times a year on special occasions. Pummerin fell and was destroyed in a devastating fire in 1945. The fragments were collected and more metal was added to them - and a copy was cast. In 1952 it was moved to its original location. Currently it is the second largest bell in Europe and the seventh largest in the world. He only comes into action a few times a year, just like before.

Gigantic Gate

The main entrance to the Vienna Cathedral and its portal are the oldest and historically interesting parts of this amazing structure. The facade combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Although it was rebuilt in the 15th century, the portal itself contains pointed and round arches.

Previously, the main entrance was not open to everyone, but only to royalty. There are different names, such as: “Great Gate”, “Giant Gate” or “Giant Gate”, but all names have the same meaning - to reflect the huge size. Construction took place between 1230 and 1250.

Interior design

The building of the Vienna Cathedral is decorated with magnificent stained glass windows. They are especially luxurious indoors. The sun's rays penetrate through them, casting colorful reflections. The original stained glass windows were created in 1340, but they are kept in the Vienna City Museum, and here they are presented to tourists in the form of copies.

Of the originals, there are five stained glass windows from the fifteenth century. They depict various scenes from the Bible. The most beautiful paintings are located directly above the cathedral altar.

Sculptures and altars

The main altar is located in the choir, decorated with Baroque style seats. It is made of black marble by Johann Jacob Pock. Above it hang the paintings “The Assumption of Mary” and “St. Stephen Stoned,” painted by Tobias Pock. Another altar, called Wiener Neustadt, was donated by Emperor Frederick the Third.

There are a lot of sculptures in the cathedral. They mainly date back to the XIV-XV centuries. The statue of the Madonna, created in 1320, is especially impressive. It is located next to the column of the pulpit and is called “Madonna for the Servants.”

Openwork pulpit

It is the most magnificent monument of the late Gothic style of the Middle Ages. The department was created by Nikolaus Gerhardt in 1515. It stands on one of the columns, its height is four meters. The marble staircase railings are decorated with patterns of lizards and toads, representing symbols of the struggle between good and evil. The master immortalized himself in the form of a self-portrait “Window Onlooker” at the foot of the department.

The department is also decorated with statues of church teachers:

• Augustine the Blessed;
• Ambrose of Milan;
• Jerome of Stridon;
• Gregory the Great.

Organs

Three organs were installed in different years in place of the original one, which burned down in a fire. The largest of them has a four-row keyboard and ten thousand handsets. During services, the middle organ, located near the altar, is often played. It has 55 rows of tubes.

The Vienna Cathedral regularly hosts concerts of classical or organ music; tickets for them can be bought on Stephansplatz Square or directly at the cathedral box office. Most often, concerts take place in the evening, but you should come half an hour before the start of the event.

Tombs

72 members of the Habsburg family are buried in a separate room. From the point of view of the originality of the burial tradition, the members of this monarchical family “outdid” even the pharaohs of Egypt. Organs were also removed from the bodies of the pharaohs and placed in separate urns, but all parts of the bodies of the rulers of Egypt were buried in one tomb.

The Habsburgs went further, their body parts were buried in different places. The temple is the traditional burial place for the internal organs of members of the royal family. Hearts and bodies (without organs) were buried in other monasteries and churches in Austria. The cathedral is the traditional burial place of the highest hierarchs of the Austrian church; their bodies still find rest in the cathedral to this day.

Buried in the cathedral itself are:

1. Rudolf IV (prince, builder of the cathedral, died in 1365). The tombstone in the main hall is symbolic; the body is buried in the underground “ducal crypt” founded by Rudolf himself.
2. Frederick III (died 1493), tombstone by Nikolaus Gerhardt.
3. Eugene Savoysky (died 1736).
4. 72 members of the Habsburg dynasty ("ducal crypt"). Most of these “graves” are symbolic: since 1633, the internal organs of monarchs were buried in the cathedral, the bodies themselves were buried in the Capuchin Church, and the hearts were buried in the Church of St. Augustine.
5. Rectors of the cathedral.

Relics and shrines of the temple

Inside the cathedral there are six separate chapels, among them the reliquary of St. Valentine, where his relics, the skulls of Saints Cosmas and Damian, as well as a piece of the tablecloth of the Last Supper are buried. The main sacred relic - the Pech Icon of the Virgin Mary - is miraculous.

According to legend, when Prince Eugene of Savoy fought a battle with the Turks on the Tisza River in 1697, tears flowed from the eyes of the Mother of God on the icon during the entire fortnight. Having heard about various wonderful things that happen at the icon, Emperor Leopold the First decided to transport this icon to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, and left only a copy in Pecs.

The square in front of the Viennese church is literally built on bones. Since ancient times, burials have been carried out around the temple. It was considered very important to be buried as close to the cathedral as possible; only the most revered were buried in the building itself. The first mention of the cemetery dates back to the mid-12th century. In the 16th century, burials were temporarily stopped. The reason for this was the terrible smell that filled the temple, arising from the decomposition of bodies buried to an insignificant depth.

The cemetery around Vienna Cathedral finally ceased to exist in 1732. The bones were transferred to underground burials, the so-called new catacombs. The old ones were created back in the 14th century right under the temple; royalty and high clergy were buried in them. The new ones were intended for ordinary people: compartments were dug for hundreds of bodies, and 300-400 of them were placed there. When the compartment was full, it was filled up and a new one began. So over 60 years, 11,000 people were buried.

Great architects were also classified as such simple people: Von Hildebrandt and Von Erlach were buried in a similar way. Mozart, by the way, was also buried in a common grave in the cemetery.

During the construction work, the Virgilkapelle chapel, dating back to the 13th century, was opened. It was once located in the dungeon of the cemetery church of Mary Magdalene, which was demolished in 1871.

Worship services and other visiting opportunities

Sunday masses in Stefansdom begin:

• at 10:30 am from September to June;
• at 9:30 - in July-August.

You can visit the Vienna Cathedral any day.

It is open to visitors every day:

• from 6:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and Saturday:
• on Sundays and holidays - from 7:00 to 22:00.

You can visit the cathedral as part of a tour group. All attractions on the territory of the temple are open for inspection and visiting (the cathedral itself, the tombs, both towers, the treasury). It is possible to visit with an audio guide.

The grandiose Church of St. Stephen, filled with wonderful relics and real works of art, has become the national symbol of Austria and the decoration of the city of Vienna. Below it are the no less famous catacombs, where the remains of all the Austrian emperors lie, starting with the prince who built this magnificent temple, Rudolf VI, then seventy-two Habsburgs, Eugene of Savoy and many abbots of the cathedral. From either of the two towers there is a magnificent view of the ancient and beautiful city.

Symbol of Vienna

Construction of the cathedral began in the twelfth century, and today it is the most significant Gothic structure in Austria with a total height of 107 meters and with towers rising another 30. Visitors often climb the bell tower, overcoming three hundred and fifty steps. It's worth it: the view from the bell ringer's room is simply magnificent. And those 23 bells of different sizes, which are one of the main attractions of the Church of St. Stephen, decorate the cathedral exclusively: “Pummerin” alone is considered the largest bell in Western Europe. The roof is clearly visible from above, where the coat of arms of Austria is laid out with bright tiles.

Inside the temple, the design changed frequently, so over so many centuries the architecture acquired signs of almost all trends and movements, even baroque. Every guest of the city considers it not only his duty, but also his primary duty to visit this pearl of architecture. Moreover, one day is clearly not enough for an inspection. Because the Church of St. Stephen is a huge cathedral and literally every square meter of its area contains one or another attraction.

Relics

The treasures of the cathedral are more than impressive: a huge number of valuable altars, side chapels, relics decorated with jewels and gold: arks, books, liturgical texts, vestments. The sarcophagi are also impressive. The lid of Frederick III's tombstone weighs, for example, eight tons. Prince Eugene rested in a separate chapel, decorated extremely whimsically. If we take into account that the first burials appeared here at the beginning of the twelfth century, we can trace the formation of traditions of both architecture and interior design solutions by the nature of the burials.

Currently, the Church of St. Stephen is where the Viennese Archbishop sits. The church was originally built in the city center in 1147, by the fifteenth century it acquired its current boundaries, and its modern appearance only in the sixteenth century. The oldest buildings are in the Romanesque style, as can be seen on the wall of the cathedral, where the portal and two towers are, which were later rebuilt in the Gothic style after a fire in 1258.

Architecture

In 1340, Albert's choirs in three naves (named in honor of the two kings Albert - the First and Second) were added to the Romanesque church from the east; they have been preserved to this day in their original form. The northern nave was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the one in the middle to Saint Stephen and all the other saints, and the southern nave is dedicated to the twelve apostles. In 1359, Rudolph IV founded a new temple - Gothic, in its place now - the tallest southern tower, the foundation of which is surprisingly strong, although very small - only one and a half meters. When climbing the south tower, you can see the oldest statue of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, which once served as a decoration for the facade. From here, from this bench, which is located next to the statue of St. Stephen, Count Starhemberg observed the Turks during the siege.

The northern tower was built over a hundred years, only in 1578 it was equipped with a beautiful dome in the Renaissance style. To the indigenous people, it still seems more like a water tower, although it is called the Eagle Tower, and the portal leading from it to the Women's Nave bears the same name. After St. Stephen's Cathedral became a cathedral, the sculptor Rollinger made carved choirs with a unique design, and in 1513 an organ was installed there. All interiors of those times were, of course, made in the Baroque style. In 1647, reconstruction began: a unique altar by Jacob and Pokk appeared, in 1700 - two side altars, not inferior in beauty to the main one, two icons of the Virgin Mary were painted, which immediately became famous. The status of the temple was upgraded to archiepiscopal 40 years after the victory over the Turks - in 1722.

War

St. Stephen's Cathedral was not damaged during the bombing, and the offensive operation of the Soviet troops also did not harm it. However, the commandant of Vienna, General Sepp Dietrich, ordered Hitler's artillery to demolish the entire city center. Fortunately, this order was not carried out. But misfortune came from where they did not expect: local residents - looters plundered all the nearby shops and set them on fire, and the fire spread to the temple complex.

The consequences were terrible: the roof collapsed in many places, a huge bell fell into the North Tower and was broken, many of the interiors of St. Stephen in Vienna, even the Rollinger choir, were almost completely destroyed. The pulpits and, thanks to the brick sarcophagi, the most valuable relics have been preserved.

The cathedral was restored by volunteers, and this was done only in 1960. In December 1948, a roof appeared over the main nave, and in April 1952 it was already possible to resume services. The second stage of restoration began in 1980 and continues to this day. Limestone walls and statues are being restored, of which there are a lot, and time is merciless to even the hardest materials.

First Martyr

St. Stephen's Cathedral exists not only in Vienna. This man, the first martyr, is revered in all Christian denominations. He came from the Jewish diaspora and lived in Jerusalem. For his sermon, preached around 33-36, that is, immediately after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, he was brought to the Sanhedral court and stoned. The book “The Acts of the Holy Apostles” writes in detail about his service to Christ and his martyrdom. Orthodox Christians honor his memory on January 9, and Catholics on December 26.

It is not entirely clear whether Stefan died as a result of the death sentence or whether he was simply lynched by the crowd without waiting for the end of the trial. He said things that had not yet penetrated the consciousness of people, even those who were contemporaries of the Lord and, perhaps, who listened to his parables and saw the miracles he performed. Stephen spoke about what he saw with his own eyes: sitting at the right hand of the Father. It seemed blasphemous. The murder scene itself described does not resemble lapidation (stoning); rather, it is the same crowd on whose conscience is the Cross of the Lord. In addition, it was impossible to execute anyone immediately after the trial - first the Roman authorities had to give the go-ahead, and this took a lot of time. The executed Stefan prayed for his murderers. At his burial there was a “great cry” (Acts 8:2).

Hungary

Budapest honors the Basilica (Cathedral) of St. Stephen as the most important temple in the country, calling the saint in Hungarian - Stephen. This is another saint, not the first martyr, but the king and creator of the country. That is why it is one of the largest churches in Europe, with a bell tower height of ninety-six meters. Built in the neoclassical style, which was very popular in the nineteenth century. This cathedral is a striking example of strict and laconic classics. The first architect, Hild, did not calculate everything correctly, and one day, many years after his death, the dome collapsed. His follower, Miklos Ibl, took it upon himself to correct the mistakes. He managed to give the majestic appearance of the temple some lightness and airiness, since the bell tower and dome incorporated a little eclecticism.

It must be said that Eiffel himself advised the construction, so the structures turned out to be reliable, and nothing else has collapsed since then. Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral can be proud of such a rich neighborhood. The inside of the basilica is luxurious: gilding, carvings, splendor of paintings, grace of statues and a huge, majestic altar. The dome vault is decorated with a scene of the creation of the world. On one of the bell towers there is an observation deck for curious tourists who can climb the spiral staircase, and for the lazy there are two elevators. There is no such platform on the second bell tower - there is a bell weighing nine tons.

Czech

But the Czech Cathedral of St. Stephen (Litoměřice, in the Usti region) is dedicated to the first martyr. This capitular, cathedral and parish church was built in the Baroque architectural style. It stands high on Dome Hill, which was called Mount St. Stephen. A Romanesque basilica appeared here back in 1157, then in the sixteenth century it was reconstructed in Gothic style.

In 1664, the temple was completely destroyed, and then the Italian Dominico Orsi, in four years, erected one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Europe with a free-standing bell tower connected to the main building by an arched bridge. The organ in this cathedral consists of four thousand pipes and is made in the Rococo style.

Germany

The Bavarian Cathedral of St. Stephen (Passau) is also very impressive: the length of the temple is 102 meters, width - 33, and height - 30. Built in the late Gothic style with Baroque elements. Bavarians consider it one of the main attractions along with the famous castles. Gothic style with a baroque soul, as art critics say, is also present in the interior decoration; it is no less majestic and pompous. The third largest organ in the world and the largest in Europe is also located here. He only has 5 manuals, 229 registers and almost 18 thousand pipes. The organ is a hard worker, it sounds here every day.

In 720 it was the site of St. Stephen's, built on the site of the early Christian church of St. Severin. Naturally, since then the cathedral has been rebuilt many times - wars, fires, even time itself is unlikely to be able to convey to us the originality of such an ancient building. In 1221, almost a century of construction began on this site of the cathedral, and in 1407, almost two hundred years of reconstruction - already in the late Gothic style. This is how the entire eastern part of the temple was erected - the transept, the choir, and the early Gothic nave was enlarged. Many architects worked on this work of art, and Hans Glapsberger completed the work at the beginning of the sixteenth century. This is how we see this Bavarian St. Stephen's Cathedral now.

Austria

Let's return to the largest and most famous temple of this name in order to provide some details for comparison. For example, the length of the roof of the main nave alone is 110 meters. Impressive, isn't it? The height to the roof ridge from the gutter is 38 meters (with the roof sloped to the horizontal in some places up to 80 degrees), the supporting frame of the roof was wooden before the fire (2 thousand meters), now it is made of steel (about 600 tons). And the coating itself is 230 thousand multi-colored tiles, which are covered with a shiny glaze. It was from them that the coat of arms of Austria and the coat of arms of Vienna were laid out.

The three naves of the basilica suggest that there should be three entrance portals, but this is not the case. There is only one entrance to the Cathedral of St. Stephen - this is the central portal, called the Gigantic, or otherwise the Gate of Giants. A huge bone found during construction (it was decided that it was a dragon; they didn’t know about mammoths in those days) suggested these names. On the sides of this gate there are three-tiered pagan towers. Pagan not because ecumenism was found here in the Middle Ages. It’s just that marble and other stone were borrowed from destroyed Roman temples. A lancet window on the central facade rises above the towers, and the entire portal is designed based on the Last Judgment. In the tympanum are Christ and angels, to the right and left are the apostles and evangelists Luke and Mark as witnesses of the Last Judgment. And below them, that is, above the capitals of the columns on the left, are demons with axes and rope loops and chimeras. On the right are human vices. The columns themselves are covered with grapes - a symbol of communion.

Sculptural portraits and altars

The sculptural portraits depict the Fathers of the Church: the young sanguine Saint Ambrosius, the old choleric Saint Jerome, the mature phlegmatic Gregory the Great and the young melancholic Saint Augustine. All the stair railings on the railings are in decorative patterns: wheels with three spokes as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, rolling upward, and with four - descending, which symbolize everything earthly - seasons, temperaments, ages. The railings themselves have fantastic ornaments: snakes devouring each other, toads, lizards. There is also a dog that does not let all this evil spirits into the pulpit where the priest preaches.

There are probably few churches on earth that have as many altars as St. Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna, Austria). There are eighteen of them, not counting those in the chapels. The most famous are high (central) and Wiener Neustadt. The latter is an amazingly beautiful structure - a Gothic altar with paintings and wood carvings - was created in 1447. Its name comes from the city in which it was created and where it was first located. in gilding are dedicated to scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The altar doors are open only on Sundays. On the outside there are figures of 72 saints. The main altar was created by Tobias Pock, and a baroque note appears in the architectural chord. The doors depict the torment of St. Stephen. The first altar of Vienna is made of black marble. The statues next to the altar are Saints Florian and Leopold, patrons of the city, and Saint Roch - protector from the plague, about which St. Stephen's Cathedral can also tell a lot.

Catacombs

The first church, built in 1137, was located on the territory of an ancient cemetery where people were buried in ancient Roman times. The catacombs that remained under the temple continued to be used for burials, but mass burials began only in 1732, when, due to the plague epidemic, Charles VI forbade burying people in traditional city cemeteries. Until 1783, when the underground necropolis was closed by decree of Joseph II, eleven thousand people were buried in the catacombs. These corridors with crypts began to be called catacombs only during romanticism, in the nineteenth century. At the same time, tourists began to visit St. Stephen's Cathedral. A photo taken here as a keepsake will bring back unforgettable sensations for the rest of your life.

The catacombs contain a lot of masterpieces; this is a favorite place of tourist pilgrimage. For example, the tomb of Frederick III, where 240 figures serve as decoration. On the pedestal are mythical monsters, skulls, animals. All his good deeds during his life are depicted on the walls of the sarcophagus. At the top are monks, priests, bishops of all the monasteries that he founded, praying for the salvation of Frederick's soul. The red marble sarcophagus was designed and ordered by the owner thirty years before his death.

St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna (German: Stephansdom, colloquially Steffl) is a Catholic cathedral, the national symbol of Austria and the symbol of the city of Vienna. Chair of the Vienna Archbishop - Primate of Austria. Located in the center of the old town on St. Stefan (Stephensplatz). The first temple on the site of the cathedral was built in 1137-1147; The cathedral within its current boundaries was built in the 13th-15th centuries and acquired its modern appearance by 1511.
The cathedral is home to kestrels, bats, and stone martens.

Satellite photograph of the cathedral.

Expansion of the cathedral in the XII-XV centuries:
Romanesque towers and portal, 1230-1245;
second church, 1263;
Albert's Choirs, 1304-1340;
perestroika under Rudolf IV, c 1359.

In 1137, Margrave Leopold IV, together with Reginmar, Bishop of Passau, founded the first church; it was completed in 1147 in the Romanesque style. In 1230-1245 it was expanded to the west; Since then, the western (“Romanesque”) wall of the cathedral with a portal and two towers has been preserved, later rebuilt in the Gothic style. In 1258 the first church burned down.
In 1263, a second church was built in its place, also in the Romanesque style; The day of the consecration of the cathedral, April 23, is celebrated to this day. In 1304-1340, under Albert I and Albert II, the three-nave Albert choir was added to the church from the east, absorbing the transept of the second church and surviving to this day; the work was completed 77 years after the consecration of the second church.

The northern nave was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the middle one to St. Stephen and all the saints, the southern one to the twelve apostles. On April 7, 1359, Rudolf IV laid the first stone of a new, Gothic church on the site of the modern southern tower. According to the plans of the architects of the 14th century, the walls of the new cathedral were placed outside the existing church, and only then the walls of the old one should be dismantled (this happened only in 1430). Albert's choirs, which were quite wide, were preserved.
In 1433 the south tower was completed (architects M. Knab, P. and H. Prachatitz, 1359), and the roofing of the new church took almost 30 years (1446-1474). It is surprising that the foundation of the high southern tower is only 1.5 m. There are 343 steps leading to the observation deck of the tower. In the second tier, the figure of St. Stephen (1460), one of the oldest statues in the cathedral, deserves attention. It once decorated the façade of the cathedral. The figure is installed at the Starhemeberg bench, from which Count Rüdiger Starhemeberg observed the Turkish troops during the first siege. Today the tower ends with a double-headed eagle holding a heraldic shield with the motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I "Viribus Unitis" (Uniting Efforts) and the imperial monogram. Above the eagle is a cross with two crossbars.
The northern tower was founded in 1450 (architect G. Puchsbaum). According to the technology of that time, the lime used to prepare the solution was quenched with young wine, after which the solution, when it hardened, became especially strong. But in the year when the foundation of the tower was laid, the wine turned out to be too sour and the solution deteriorated. The foundation began to sag, construction was stopped for 17 years and continued only after the foundation had completely settled. In 1511 construction was stopped and the tower remained unfinished. In 1578, at an altitude of 68.3, it was completed with a Renaissance dome. The Viennese jokingly call it “the roof of the water tower.” Since the northern tower began to be built under Emperor Frederick III, who after the coronation chose a double-headed eagle as his coat of arms, from then on the tower began to be called the Eagle, and the tower portal leading to the Women's Nave - the Eagle.

To the right is the north tower.

Eagle portal.

Holy Apostle and First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen- the first Christian martyr, brought to the court of the Sanhedrin and stoned for Christian preaching in Jerusalem around 33-36 AD. e. The main source telling about the service and martyrdom of St. Stephen, is the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. St. Stephen is revered by the church as the first martyr, archdeacon and apostle from the 70s. Memorial Day of the First Martyr Stephen in Orthodoxy - December 27 (January 9, new style); in Western tradition - December 26.
According to the book of Acts, Stephen, along with six other fellow believers, was chosen by the apostles as a deacon (minister) to maintain order and justice in the “daily distribution of needs” (Acts 6:1). The election of deacons occurred after outrage over unfair distributions that arose among Christians from the “Hellenists”, that is, as this word is usually interpreted, Jews who came to Jerusalem from the Diaspora and spoke Greek. Stefan himself, who bore a Greek name (ancient Greek for “wreath”), most likely also came from the diaspora. He was the eldest among the seven deacons, which is why he is called the archdeacon
As Acts 6:8 shows, Stephen's activities were not limited to the ministry assigned to him by the apostles. He, like the apostles themselves, preached the word of God in Jerusalem and was brought to trial by representatives of the synagogue (or synagogues) of Diaspora Jews who entered into a dispute with him (Acts 6:9). The speech of Stephen cited in the book of Acts at the trial of the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:2-53) allows us to make an assumption that it was in Stephen’s sermon that was regarded as “blasphemous words against this holy place and against the law” (Acts 6:13). Stephen's speech, the longest of the many speeches given in the book of Acts, is a kind of retelling of the history of Israel. Stephen begins the story with Abraham's exit from Mesopotamia and, through the story of Joseph and Moses, comes to Solomon's construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Speaking about the Temple, Stephen quotes the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:1-2, Acts 7:49-50) to prove that “the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:48). The epithet “made by hand” was used in relation to pagan idols, and to apply it to the Temple was unheard of blasphemy. According to most researchers, it was precisely the criticism of the temple cult that arose among the “Hellenistic” Christians that became the cause of the “great persecution of the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1), which began with the arrest of Stephen. Apparently, the Jewish focus on Jerusalem and the Temple seemed to Stephen and his associates to be poorly compatible with the universal character of the Christian gospel. At the end of his speech, having accused his judges of murdering the Righteous One who had come, according to the predictions of Moses and the prophets, Stephen, according to the story of the book of Acts, experienced theophany: “behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” These words were perceived as the utmost blasphemy, so those who listened stopped their ears and drowned out Stephen's speech with a cry, after which they “rushed upon him, and brought him out of the city, and began to stone him” (Acts 7:55-57).
The first mention of a church holiday dedicated to the memory of St. Stephen, are contained in the Funeral Homily in memory of Basil the Great, written by his brother Gregory of Nyssa (381), the “Apostolic Institutions” and the Syriac monthly book of the end of the 4th century, indicating the date December 26, the day after the Nativity of Christ: “We are one holiday we do after another. Yesterday the Lord of the World called us to his feast, and today the follower of the Lord is Stefan. Yesterday Christ took on human flesh for the sake of us people, and today Stephen left the earth for the sake of Christ.” The same date is mentioned in early Armenian and Latin sources. Later, in Byzantium, December 26 became the day of celebration of the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the 7th century, honoring the memory of St. Stephen was moved to the third day of the holidays, December 27. The Byzantine tradition has been preserved in Orthodoxy, while Western churches still adhere to the original date of December 26.
Separate celebrations are established on the occasion of the discovery and transfer of the relics of St. Stefan:
On September 15 (28 New Style), the Orthodox Church celebrates the discovery of the relics of the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen, on August 2 (15) - the transfer of the relics of the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople;
In Catholicism, the discovery of the relics of the first martyr was traditionally celebrated on August 3.

Plan of the cathedral.

Chapter - a building for the meeting of clergy.
A cenotaph is a symbolic grave that does not contain the body of the deceased.
Altar - in the West, unlike the Orthodox Church, it is a throne, that is, a table on which the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated (the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ). An altar image is also often called an altar.

For three centuries, the Church of St. Stephen's remained nothing more than a parish church. The margraves of Austria tried to establish an episcopal see in Vienna, but the bishops of Passau, the then spiritual rulers of Austria, resisted this. The Vienna diocese was established only in 1469, under pressure from Emperor Frederick III. So the church of St. Stephen's became a cathedral. Soon after these events, in 1476-1487, the sculptor and composer Wilhelm Rollinger installed unique carved choirs inside the cathedral, and in 1513 an organ was installed in the cathedral. The 16th-17th centuries, filled with religious and Austro-Turkish wars, changed the cathedral little. During this era, the ideology of Pietas Austriaca, Catholic in spirit and Baroque in form, was established in Austria, and the interiors of the cathedral were also redesigned in the Baroque style. Reconstruction began in 1647 - with a new, Baroque, altar by Johann Jacob and Tobias Pock (1647). In 1693 and 1697, two images of the Virgin Mary were painted, and in 1700 two side altars were installed. Finally, 40 years after the expulsion of the Turks from Vienna, in 1722, the status of the cathedral and diocese was raised to archbishopric.

1945 fire and recovery

The cathedral was not damaged during the bombing of the Second World War and withstood the first days of the Vienna offensive operation of the Soviet troops, which began on April 2, 1945. During the retreat from Vienna, the city commandant, General Sepp Dietrich, ordered German artillery to destroy the center of Vienna, but the order was not carried out. On April 11, 1945, local looters set fire to looted shops; the next day the fire spread to the cathedral. The roof collapsed from the fire; the bell fell inside the North Tower and broke; the interiors (including the 15th-century Rollinger choir) were almost completely destroyed. The pulpits and most valuable relics were preserved, as they were protected by brick sarcophagi.
The cathedral was restored by the labor of volunteers - by December 19, 1948, the roof over the main nave was restored, and services resumed on April 23, 1952 (on the 689th anniversary of the cathedral). Post-war reconstruction was completed only in 1960.
All nine states of Austria took part in the restoration of Stefansdom. Residents of these lands donated money:
Burgenland - on the communion benches,
Carinthia - on chandeliers,
Lower Austria - on a stone floor,
Salzburg - on a casket for storing holy communion,
Vorarlberg - to the seating areas,
Tyrol - on the windows,
Styria - to the portal in the "Gate of Giants",
Veins - on roof tiles,
Upper Austria - to the new Pummerin.
In the 1980s, a second phase of full-scale restoration began, which continues to this day. The main problem of St. Stephen - superficial destruction of limestone walls and statues. Restorers are forced to replace individual stones and statues, using both medieval tools and computer-controlled stone cutting machines. They work in a special workshop at the temple.

ARCHITECTURE

Dimensions
The height of the southern tower is 136.44 m.
The height of the northern tower (unfinished) is 68.3 m.
The height of the walls of the side naves is 60 m.
The length and width of the cathedral at ground level is 198.2 x 62 m.
The height of the vaults of the central nave is 28 m.
During Habsburg times, no church in Austria-Hungary could be higher than the south tower of St. Stefan.

North side.

South side. Habsburg Eagle. When photographing the cathedral from the square, this part of the roof is covered by a tall southern tower.

The length of the roof of the main nave is 110 m, and the height from the gutter to the ridge of the roof is 37.85 m, while the slope of the roof in some places reaches 80° to the horizontal. At such angles of inclination, rainwater can effectively wash the tiled roof, and rare snow falls down without stopping. The supporting frame of the roof was initially made of wood (over 2000 m2), and after the fire of 1945 - of steel (about 600 tons). The roof covering consists of 230,000 colored tiles covered with glaze. They lined images of the national coat of arms and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna.

The three-nave structure of the basilica suggests the presence of three entrance portals, but there is only one central Gigantic portal or Giant's Gate (Riesentor, Riesentor, 1230), preserved from the Romanesque basilica. The name may be due to the huge dragon bone (actually a mammoth bone) located in the narthex. It was found during construction work in the 15th century.

To the right and left of the Gigantic Portal, fragments of three-tiered pagan towers have been preserved. During the construction of the first cathedral these were the portal towers. During the reconstruction they became part of the main facade. The name - pagan towers (Heidenturme) - is explained by the fact that stone from various Roman temples was used in their construction. However, the word heidenisch means “elderly, elderly.” During the reconstruction of the Romanesque church in the Gothic style, the height of the towers was increased and now reaches 65.6 m. The outline of the pagan towers, which are lower than the central lancet window, is clearly visible in the photograph.

The theme of the sculptural design of the portal is the Last Judgment. In tipmpan - Christ in Power, supported by angels. To the right and left of the angels are the apostles and evangelists Mark and Luke. These are witnesses to the Last Judgment. Under the apostles, above the capitals of the columns, to the left of the portal are demons tempting man: the devil in the form of a monkey, tightening a noose around a man’s neck; a man swinging an ax at another; chimeras.

The devil in the form of a monkey tightening a noose around a man's neck.

To the right of the portal is a man in the grip of vices: a fox pulling a man’s hair; a man protecting himself from dragons, behind which stands the devil. The columns at the entrance to the temple are entwined with grapevines - a symbol of communion. Above the entrance on the wall there is a sculpture of Samson tearing the mouth of a lion; a judge (secular justice was also administered in the cathedral), sitting with his legs crossed, he is called “pulling out a thorn”; figure of St. Stefan, copy 1997

Samson.

Pulling out a splinter

Near the main portal and along the perimeter of the walls are located:

Chair of St. Joanna Capistrana, with whom he called for a crusade against the Turks in 1454. Despite the fact that the man whom the saint tramples on has an assailant on his head, this is not a Ukrainian Cossack, but a Turk.

Coat of arms of the Hungarian city Komádi.
Heavy wars with the Ottoman Empire left their mark on heraldry. A number of noble and city coats of arms depict a severed head with a donkey and a drooping mustache, often impaled on a saber. Experts in Western heraldry describe this head as the head of a Turk, and nothing else.

“Christ with a Toothache,” so called because of the expression on the Savior’s face.
According to legend, several guys laughed at the sculpture. Their teeth hurt so much that they could neither eat nor drink, and relief came only after a prayer of repentance.

On the left pagan tower there are two iron measures of length - medieval Viennese length standards: Leinenelle=89.6 cm, Tuchelle=77.6 cm.
El, elbow (a measure of length; the distance from the extended middle finger to the top of the shoulder (and not to the elbow, as in the Russian elbow); in England - 45 inches, or 114 cm; in Scotland - 37 inches, or 94 cm).
Nearby is a round measure of bread. A craftsman whose goods did not meet these standards was put in a wooden cage and dipped into the Danube.

Next to the measures, the sign O5 is scratched, which served as a kind of password for the anti-fascist resistance during the annexation of Austria. E is the fifth letter of the alphabet. The German name for Austria - Österreich - begins with the letter O-umlaut, that is, with the letter O with two dots above it. If it is impossible to use diacritics, letters with an umlaut in the German language are traditionally replaced with digraphs: Ö with OE.

Written by our sappers: “The block has been checked” (no mines).

Sundial on flying buttress

Bronze model of the cathedral (scale 1:100) near the southern wall of the cathedral.
The explanatory inscription is made in Braille (for the blind).

The southwestern portal is called the Singing Portal (Singertor, 1360), through which singers and men entered the cathedral. Singertor is a wonderful example of High Gothic. The theme of the sculptural design is episodes from the life of St. Paul. In the upper tier of the tympanum - the baptism and martyrdom of Paul, in the lower - the journey of Saul (Paul's name before baptism) to Damascus, Saul's insight, Saul's conversion. The history of the Apostle Paul is closely connected with the history of St. Stephen (it was at the feet of Paul that Stephen’s executioners, having believed, laid down their clothes). The portal is framed by figures of the apostles.

In addition, to the right of the portal, on the cantilever ledge of the wall, there is a figure of Duke Rudolf IV the Founder holding a model of the cathedral, and to the left of the portal is a symmetrical figure of Duchess Catherine with a scepter in her hands. The model of the cathedral held by the Duke shows two symmetrical towers. Next to the Duke is a servant with a coat of arms.

Duchess Catherine.

The Bishop's Portal (Bischofstor, 1360) is located in the north-west of the cathedral. The bishop entered through him, and besides him, the townswomen. The theme of the sculptural decoration is the Ascension of the Mother of God. At the top of the scene is the coronation of the Virgin Mary, below it is the Ascension. The arch contains images of female saints. In addition to them, there are figures of Duke Albrecht III and his wife.

Photo from the official website of the cathedral.

Craftsmen from Ireland took part in the construction of the cathedral. On the northwest corner of the church they depicted St. Stephen.

RELICS AND SIGHTS

PEC ICON OF THE VIRGIN MARY

In 1676, Hungarian Laszlo Szygri ordered an icon of the Mother of God for the village of Pecs in memory of the liberation from Turkish captivity. The icon ended up in the Pech church and in 1696 became famous for its miracles; Emperor Leopold I took it to Vienna, leaving a copy for the villagers. The copy was also considered miraculous, so Pöcs became a place of pilgrimage and was renamed Mariapöcs. Until 1945, the icon hung at the main altar, now it is in the southwestern corner, next to the main portal.
According to legend, during the battle with the Turks at Zenta near the Tisza River on September 11, 1697 (the Austrians were led by Prince Eugene of Savoy), tears flowed from the eyes of the Mother of God for two weeks.

An organ with four rows of keys, one hundred and twenty-five registers and ten thousand organ pipes, this “giant organ” is one of the largest in Europe. The Gothic organ, located on the northern wall, was lost in 1720. But the organ pedestal (heel) made by A. Pilgram (1513) survived. The sculptor depicted himself in the image of the cathedral builder, also looking out of the window. He holds a square and a compass in his hands. Under the portrait there is an inscription: “Master of 1513.” A new large organ was installed in 1886 and destroyed in 1945. The modern organ of the cathedral was mounted above the western portal in 1960.

Master Pilgram.

BELLS

Pummerin
There are a total of 23 bells in the belfry, 20 of them are in use, and each has its own role. The large bell of the northern tower, Pummerin (official name St. Mary), weighing 21,383 kg (according to other sources 20,130 kg) was cast in 1951 in St. Florian and installed in 1957 to replace the bell of the same name, cast in 1711 from 180 cannons captured during the second Turkish siege of Vienna, and crashed in a fire in 1945. Pummerin rings eleven times a year - on great holidays, on the day of the consecration of the cathedral (April 23) and on New Year's Eve; The longest, ten-minute ringing, marks the death and enthronement of the Pope and the Viennese Archbishop. It is the second largest bell in Europe (after the Peter Bell of Cologne Cathedral). According to other sources, it is the third swinging bell in Europe after Peter (23,500 kg) of Cologne Cathedral and Maria Dolens (22,700 kg) in Italy. In the West, to strike a bell, the bell itself is swung, these are the so-called oche bells. Language bells are common among us. However, old Pummerin had eight people swinging his tongue, and it hung not on the low northern tower, but on the high southern one.
For the daily ringing of the bells, 11 electrically driven bells of the south tower, installed in 1960, are used. Of these, four are used before the start of the regular mass, the number increases to ten on holidays and to eleven when the archbishop himself serves. The bells are named after St. Stephen (5700 kg); St. Leopold (2300 kg); St. Christopher (1350 kg); St. Leonard (950 kg); St. Joseph the Betrothed (700 kg); Jesuit Peter Canisius (400 kg); Pope Pius X (280 kg); All Saints (200 kg); Clement Maria Hofbauer (120 kg); Archangel Michael (60 kg); and Saint Tarsicius (35 kg).
On one of the two pagan towers, on the north, there are six bells: the Feuerin ("fire bell"), cast in 1859, now used in evening services, as well as the Kantnerin, cast in 1772, named after those accompanying the service musicians; Feringerin; Bieringin ("beer bell" indicating the closing time of the tavern); the funeral bell “Poor Souls” and Churpotsch, donated to the cathedral in honor of the Pecs Icon of the Mother of God located in the cathedral.
The tallest south tower also has two historic bells that survived the fire: the Primglocke, cast in 1772, and the Uhrschalle, cast in 1449, which chime the hours.
At one time, Ludwig van Beethoven realized that he had completely lost his hearing when he saw birds fly up from the bell tower of the cathedral, scared by the ringing of the bells, but he did not hear the sound.

Until the 17th century, ringing bells were used everywhere in Rus', just like in the West, since we also borrowed church bell ringing from the West.


These miniatures of the vault clearly show that the rope held by the bell-ringer is not attached to the tongue.

The bells were installed in spans or niches, and the spans in width (and the niches, in addition, in height and depth) were laid out, if possible, in the size of the bell, taking into account its scope. In cases where bells were placed in niches (seven monuments with a similar ringing arrangement are known in Russia), the back or side walls of the niche, and sometimes the vault above it, were cut through with special ear canals so that the sound would not be muffled when ringing.
The bell was fastened to an iron rod of square cross-section - “matitsa”. To pass the matrix at the top of the bell, there is a “mother cell” - a large loop with a slot, on the sides of which there are additional loops - “bell ears”. The matitsa was threaded into the loop and jammed in it. For rigidity, both the loops, the mat, and the tops of the ears were embedded in a spindle-shaped oak block (“shaft”), assembled from wedges and bound with hoops. Iron loops threaded through the ears were draped over the shaft. The ends of the matrix extending out on both sides of the shaft were forged round. These ends were inserted into iron “sockets” previously laid by masons in the bell pillars. Fearing the deflection of the matrix, the craftsmen tried to make it as short as possible - slightly larger than the diameter of the bell, so that the ends of the shaft could be inserted into the masonry. The bell, tightly fastened to the shaft, was lifted onto the bell tower and placed in the socket. So they said: “put a bell.”
An ochep (otsep, ochap) was attached horizontally to the shaft from below - a long or short pole with a rope at the end. For a heavy bell, the rope ended in a stirrup, where the bell ringer put his foot, helping himself when ringing. If the efforts of several people were required to set the bell in motion, additional ropes with their own stirrups were tied to the main rope or rope, and a ringer stood at each. For the giant bells, which stood, like Godunov’s “Tsar Bell,” in open spans, the supports were made on both sides of the span, and the whole system resembled a rocker.
The need for a second bell also arises because with a long and heavy pole, the bell in a stationary position is installed at an angle and does not immediately begin to ring when swinging. In the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, bell ringers use a second ochep as a counterweight to straighten the bell - without a rope. For the same purpose, a counterweight in the form of a box of stones was sometimes used.
The external method of ringing the bells (when the bell-ringers stand on the ground) is the main difference between the Old Russian method of ringing and the Western European one, where the bells are set in motion from the inside of the bell towers. This tradition should be associated, first of all, with the composition of Russian ringing. Unlike the countries of Western Europe, which transferred their ringing technique to Rus' (for example, Italy and Germany, where there was definitely no interest in collecting bells, but where very early they began to build high stone bell towers for one or two bells), Russian churches have long possessed entire collections of bells , differing in tone and sound and hung and arranged in a special way.
For Europe, with its developed medieval construction technology and huge cathedrals, it was not difficult to arrange a room for one, two or even three bells inside church towers (it was enough to place the bell along with the ochep on the upper platform of the tower with the ochep inward, and throw the ropes into an empty well , which is often the upper tiers of European bell towers). However, in Rus', where in the most modest rural church there were at least three bells, and in monasteries from five to nine only ochepnye (evangelists in the middle ones), it was already difficult to collect them all under one roof - both due to the small capacity of the bell towers, not making it possible to turn the bells inward, and because of the heaviness of the bells, for swinging which could require not one, but two or three ringers per bell, not counting the bell ringers for ringing the tongues of small ringing bells. All this abundance of bells needed to be hung up, and the crowd of bell-ringers had to be arranged in some order so that the numerous ropes would not get tangled with each other, the bell-ringers would not push each other, and the ringing would occur in a coordinated manner. It follows that when creating their own bell towers, Russian architects had to solve significantly different problems than Western European architects - not so much “collecting” as dispersing bell ringers and bells.
Not the least role in the consolidation of external ringing techniques in Rus' was played by the slow pace of stone construction in the post-Mongol period - before the construction of bell structures began (that is, bell towers in the proper sense of the word, and not belfries), the external form of ringing became a tradition.
Starting from the time of Ivan the Terrible and especially during the time of Alexei Mikhailovich, bells of greater and greater weight began to be cast, and the bells often began to fall into disrepair. Petitions to the Tsar have been preserved: “We ask you to replace the iron on the chip, otherwise you have to ring tongues.” So, gradually, as a necessary measure, tongue ringing began to be used when ringing super-heavy bells.
By the end of the 17th century, the ringing of bells had already been abandoned everywhere and the modern tradition of bell ringing had developed in Rus'. Small bells, however, were previously rung by the tongue.
In our time, the ringing ringing has been preserved only in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery; it is in this way that three large bells are rung there. When swinging, the body of the bell and its tongue initially move with the same phase. No matter how much you swing it, it will not ring, because the body of the bell and its tongue move together. Then the swaying necklace is held, and only then is the ringing heard. With this method, it is difficult to coordinate the ringing of several bells of different sizes.

Modern western tower bells.

DEPARTMENT

A carved 15th-century bishop's cathedra is attributed to Nikolaus Gerhart. To naturally enhance the sound, the pulpit is leaned against a column in the center of the main nave. It is decorated with statues of the four first teachers of the church - Augustine the Blessed (biography), Ambrose of Milan (biography), Jerome of Stridon (biography), Gregory the Great. Under the stairs there is a small sculptural portrait of someone “looking out of a window,” probably a self-portrait of the sculptor.
The pulpit is made of three sandstone blocks. For a long time it was attributed to master A. Pilgram.
Sculptural portraits of the Church Fathers symbolize 4 temperatures and 4 ages: St. Ambrosius - youth and sanguine; St. Jerome - old age and choleric; Gregory I the Great - maturity and phlegmatic; St. Augustine is young and melancholic.
St. Augustine (youth and melancholic).
The railings of the staircase leading to the pulpit are decorated with a decorative pattern of rolling wheels. Wheels with three spokes, a symbol of the Holy Trinity, roll upward. With four spokes, a symbol of everything earthly - 4 seasons, 4 temperaments, 4 ages, rolling down. The railings themselves are decorated with a fantastic ornament of snakes, toads and lizards devouring each other - an allegory of the struggle between good (lizards) and evil. A small stone dog guards the bishop escorting him from the pulpit and does not allow amphibians to go upstairs.

ALTARIES
There are 18 altars in the cathedral, not counting the altars in the chapels.

The most famous of them are the central (high) altar and the Wiener Neustadter Altar.


This is an amazingly beautiful Gothic altar (wood carving, painting), made in 1447. The altar bears the name of the city in which it was previously located, and is now located in the "ladies" nave. The altar was created by order of Emperor Frederick III for the Cistercian monastery. The altar was moved to Vienna in 1884 after the monastery was closed. Gilded wooden figures depict scenes from the life of the Mother of God. The altar doors are open only on Sundays, and closed on other days. On the outside of the doors there are figures of 72 saints, painted brown.

Main altar (Hochaltar)

Made of black marble in 1640-1660. T. and I.Ya. Pokkami. It is considered the first baroque altar in Vienna. The statues next to the altar depict the patron saints of Vienna - Saints Leopold and Florian, as well as the saints - protectors from the plague - Roch and Sebastian. The altarpiece depicts the suffering of St. Stephen.

Altar of Franz Seraphicus.

Altar of St. Januarius.

Altar of St. Joseph.

Altar of St. Catherine or St. Cecilia.

Altar of St. Leopold.

Altar of the heart of Jesus Christ.

Altar of Our Lady.

Another masterpiece is the tomb of Emperor Frederick III, decorated with 240 figures. It is located south of the high altar in the Apostolic (male) nave.
The sarcophagus was made (by master N. Gerhard from Leiden, 1467-1513) from red Hallein marble. The emperor ordered the tombstone 30 years before his death. The pedestal of the sarcophagus is decorated with mythical creatures, animals, skulls - symbols of the emperor's coat of arms. The reliefs on the walls of the sarcophagus are his good deeds. At the top are bishops, monks and priests from the monasteries founded by the monarch, praying for Frederick's salvation. At the top is a sculptural image of the emperor, at his head is a figurine of St. Christopher. Whoever looks at her will avert sudden death from himself for a year.


Top view of the tomb. The photograph is placed next to the tomb.

Frederick III(German Friedrich III.; September 21, 1415, Innsbruck - August 19, 1493, Linz) - King of Germany (Roman King) from February 2, 1440 to March 16, 1452 (under the name of Frederick IV), Holy Roman Emperor from March 16, 1452, Archduke of Austria from November 23, 1457 (under the name of Frederick V), Duke of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola from 1424, King of Hungary (nominally) from February 17, 1458 to July 17, 1463 (coronation March 4, 1459), representative of the Leopoldine line of the Habsburg dynasty, last emperor , crowned in Rome, and unifier of the Austrian lands.

Frederick III is considered the last emperor of the Middle Ages.

Pinturicchio: Betrothal of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal (detail), 1502, Libreria Piccolomini, Duomo, Siena

Youth
Frederick V was the eldest son of Ernst the Iron, Duke of Inner Austria, and Cymburga of Mazovia, daughter of Siemowit IV, Duke of Płock and Kujaw. At the age of nine, after the death of his father, Frederick inherited the thrones of the duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola. In 1440, Frederick, as the head of the Habsburg family, was elected king of Germany by the German electors. At the same time, he established his guardianship over the young Ladislaus Postumus, Duke of Austria, and after the latter’s death in 1457, he annexed Austria to his possessions, thus uniting most of the Habsburg lands (except for the Tyrol).

Reign in Germany and relationship with the Pope
The general crisis of the governing bodies of the empire, the ineffectiveness of imperial power and the almost complete independence of the German princes, which gradually grew over the last century, manifested themselves most fully during the reign of Frederick III. He was unable to raise any significant funds in Germany to pursue his own policies, nor to achieve strengthening the power of the emperor. On the other hand, Frederick III did not make any attempts to reform imperial institutions, preserving the system of relations between the emperor and princes and imperial cities, which was outdated in the new era of the Renaissance and the creation of national states. The largest states of Germany repeatedly opposed Frederick III, but the matter did not come to the removal of the emperor from the throne, perhaps due to the disinterest of the electors in the reforms.
Frederick III showed extremely weak participation in church affairs. During the Pope's struggle with the Council of Basel, the king's intervention in this confrontation was minimal, which contrasted sharply with the activity of his predecessor Emperor Sigismund. In 1446, Frederick concluded the Vienna Concordat with the Holy See, which regulated the relations between the Austrian monarchs and the Pope and remained in force until 1806. Under the agreement with the Pope, Frederick received the right to distribute 100 church benefits and appoint 6 bishops.
In 1452, Frederick III traveled to Italy and was crowned in Rome by Pope Nicholas V. This was the last coronation of German emperors in Rome, which meant the renunciation of claims to Italy. It was from this time that the empire received its new official name - “The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.”

Board in Austria
At the same time, realizing the ephemerality of the imperial title, Frederick III sought to strengthen the independence of Austria. In 1453 he approved the "Privilegium Maius" of Rudolf IV, thus confirming the special position of Austria in the empire and the right of the Austrian monarchs to the title of Archduke. As a result, Austria was actually separated from the empire and placed next to it. This was evidenced by the title used by Frederick, in which the Austrian possessions were listed in detail and separately from the title of emperor. Wir Friedrich von gots gnaden Romischer kayser, zu allen zeitten merer des reichs, zu Hungern, Dalmacien, Croacien etx. kunig, hertzog zu Osterreich, zu Steyr, zu Kernndten und zu Krain, herre auf der Windischen march und zu Porttenaw, grave zu Habspurg, zu Tyrol, zu Phyrtt und zu Kyburg, marggrave zu Burgaw und lanndtgrave in Ellsass
Until 1457, the Duke of Austria was the young grandnephew of Frederick III, Ladislaus Postumus, but the emperor actually kept Ladislaus captive, usurping all the latter’s legal powers as a guardian. Frederick's ineffective policies aroused opposition to his power among the Austrian nobility, led by Ulrich Aituiper, strengthened by lean years. The Austrian magnates became close to the Hungarian National Party, which advocated the return of Ladislaus to the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1452, while Frederick III was in Rome, an uprising broke out in Vienna. Under pressure from the opposition, the emperor released Ladislaus, recognized him as the king of the Czech Republic and Hungary and transferred to him the functions of governing Austria. With the death of Ladislaus in 1457, the Albertine line of the Habsburg dynasty was ended and Frederick III annexed the Duchy of Austria to his possessions.
At the same time, in 1457, Frederick’s confrontation with his younger brother Albrecht VI, who was claiming part of the Habsburg inheritance, intensified. In 1458, Frederick was forced to cede Upper Austria to his brother. Soon heavy wars began with the Hungarians, to whom the emperor could not provide effective resistance. The Austrian lands were ravaged and devastated. Frederick III's attempt to mint unsecured money failed, and peasant unrest became more frequent. In 1461, the emperor was besieged by his own brother in Vienna. It was only after the death of Albrecht VI in 1463 that Frederick became the sole ruler of Austria.
Constant conflicts with classes, relatives and Hungarian raids forced the emperor to constantly move from city to city, avoiding the Austrian capital. His court was located either in Graz, then in Linz, or in Wiener Neustadt (in the latter city he built a castle and a monastery). The settlement of relations with the pope allowed Frederick III to achieve in 1469 Rome's consent to the establishment of bishoprics in Vienna and Wiener Neustadt, which his predecessors on the Austrian throne had unsuccessfully sought. However, as in Germany, in Austria Frederick III avoided drastic changes and did not try to carry out any significant improvements in the state apparatus.

Foreign policy
Relations with the Czech Republic and Hungary
During the minority of Ladislaus Postumus, who had rights to the Hungarian and Czech thrones, Frederick III tried to establish his power over these states. However, he failed to create a strong pro-Habsburg party. Civil wars broke out in both kingdoms, bringing to power representatives of the national middle nobility - Jiří from Poděbrady in the Czech Republic and János Hunyadi in Hungary. The Hungarian invasion, coupled with the uprising of the Austrian estates in 1452, forced Frederick to release Ladislaus and return the royal regalia. The leverage over these countries was lost. Moreover, the emperor refused to assist the Hungarians in the fight against the Turks. After the death of Ladislaus in 1457, it was also not possible to keep the Czech Republic and Hungary in the orbit of the Habsburg Monarchy. George of Poděbrady became the King of the Czech Republic, which, after an unsuccessful war for Austria, Frederick was forced to admit in 1459. He had to sell the crown of St. Stephen to Matthias Hunyadi for 80,000 gold forints, and remained the nominal king of Hungary until July 17, 1463. Matthias Hunyadi ascended the throne of Hungary, who soon launched large-scale military operations against the emperor.
In the 1460s. Incessant Hungarian raids began on Austrian lands, which Frederick III, experiencing a chronic lack of funds, could not provide effective resistance. Austria was devastated, and in 1485 the army of Matthias Hunyadi captured Vienna and Wiener Neustadt. Hungarian troops occupied Lower and part of Upper Austria, as well as the eastern regions of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola.
Only the death of Matthias in 1490 made it possible to liberate the Austrian lands, which was carried out by Frederick’s son Maximilian. He also achieved the conclusion of the Treaty of Pozsony, which provided for the Habsburgs' right to inherit the Hungarian throne after the end of the Jagiellon dynasty. Successes in the Hungarian direction at the end of the reign of Frederick III were achieved only thanks to the energetic actions of his son, while the emperor himself practically retreated from politics at the end of his life.

Relations with Switzerland
Frederick III's policy towards the Swiss Confederation also proved ineffective. Attempts to use France to return Swiss lands to Habsburg rule failed: in 1444, Charles VII was defeated under Saint Gotthard. As a result, Thurgau, an ancient possession of the Habsburg family, became part of Switzerland. The emperor's intervention in the civil war of 1468 between the Swiss cantons also ended in failure. At the same time, the strengthening of Burgundy on the western borders of Austrian lands and the threat of losing Alsace forced Frederick III to go in the 1470s. to get closer to the Swiss. In 1474, an Austro-Swiss defensive alliance was concluded against the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. When the treaty was signed, the Habsburgs renounced their claims to Switzerland “finally and forever.” The war with Burgundy ended successfully for the Swiss: in 1477, Charles the Bold died in the battle of Nancy.

Burgundian inheritance
The death of Charles the Bold opened the question of the Burgundian inheritance. The vast domains of the Dukes of Burgundy, including Franche-Comté, Rethel, Flanders, Brabant, Gennegau, Namur, Holland, Zeeland and Luxembourg, were inherited by Charles's only daughter Maria of Burgundy, who was married to Frederick's son Maximilian. The entry of such vast and rich lands into the Habsburg monarchy immediately brought the dynasty to the fore in European politics and gave rise to the famous motto of the House of Habsburg: “Let others wage war, you, happy Austria, get married!”
Nevertheless, the French king also put forward claims to the Burgundian inheritance. In 1479, the French troops of Louis XI invaded the Habsburg possessions, which, however, were defeated in the Battle of Gongata. In 1482, the Treaty of Aras was concluded, according to which France received the duchy of Burgundy and Picardy itself, and the Habsburgs retained all other lands of the Burgundian crown. In 1488, the conflict with France resumed as part of the War of the Breton Succession. This time events developed unfavorably for Austria: an uprising broke out in the Netherlands, and Maximilian was captured in Brussels. For the release of his son, Frederick III was forced to agree to the establishment of the Admiralty in the Netherlands in 1489, which marked the beginning of the Dutch Navy.

Beginning of the Austro-Turkish Wars
In 1469, Turkish troops for the first time invaded the borders of the Austrian monarchy. From that time on, regular predatory raids of the Ottoman Empire began on the lands of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola. In 1492, at the Battle of Villach, Austrian troops under the command of Maximilian defeated the Turks, but this did not eliminate the Ottoman threat.
General results of the board
During the reign of Frederick III, the abbreviation AEIOU (from the Latin Austriae est imperare orbi universo) - “Austria must rule the world” - began to be used for the first time. These claims contrasted sharply with the generally disastrous reign of the emperor, who was unable to either carry out any serious changes in his possessions or strengthen the state apparatus. The Czech Republic and Hungary were lost, and imperial rights to Italy were left. Austria was ravaged by numerous internal conflicts and wars with the Hungarians and Turks. The country's financial system was experiencing a protracted crisis. However, it was Frederick III, who organized the marriage of his son with the heiress of Burgundy, who managed to lay the foundation for the future multinational Habsburg empire, which spread its possessions over half the world.

Marriage and children
(1452) Eleanor of Portugal (1436-1476), daughter of Duarte, King of Portugal
Christophe (1455-1456);
Maximilian I (1459-1519), Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria;
Helen (1460-1461);
Johann (1466-1467);
Cunegonde (1465-1520), married to Albrecht VI, Duke of Bavaria

Statue of the Madonna - protector of servants.

The history of the cathedral is inextricably linked with the history of the city and, like the history of any extraordinary place, has become overgrown with legends over the centuries...
.. Many years ago there lived in Vienna a rich countess who was reputed to be very pious; she even had her own small chapel in her house. However, if she did not pray, it was a real devil, before whom all the servants trembled. Among these servants there was an orphan who suffered the most. One day, a valuable pearl necklace disappeared from the countess's box. Without thinking for a second, the countess accused the poor maid of theft. The guards were called... In despair, the girl rushed to the chapel, fell to her knees in front of the Madonna and exclaimed: “Mother of God, help me!”
The Countess, who was watching the maid, just grinned: “This is my Mother of God, she doesn’t need the servants’ prayers!” But the girl did not let up and continued to ask for help. The sergeant, observing this scene, doubted and ordered a search of the house. Soon the jewel was found among the groom's belongings. During interrogation, he admitted to the theft, and the girl was released. The Countess, who no longer wanted to have the Mother of God helping the servants, donated it to the church. The fame of the girl’s miraculous salvation spread throughout the city, and the Madonna gained a reputation as the protector of servants, which has survived to this day.

Cenotaph of Duke Rudolf IV the Founder and his suprega Catherine. The remains of the couple are located in the catacombs of the cathedral, the entrance to which is in the northern tower.

Rudolf IV(German: Rudolf IV.; November 1, 1339, Vienna - July 27, 1365, Milan) - Duke of Austria, Styria and Carinthia (from 1358), Count of Tyrol (from 1363) from the Habsburg dynasty. The first Austrian monarch to assume the title of Archduke. The short reign of Rudolf IV was of great importance for the development of Austrian statehood.

Youth

Rudolf IV wearing the crown of the Archduke. The first half-front portrait in Western Europe.
Rudolf IV was the eldest son of Albrecht II the Wise, Duke of Austria, and Johanna Pfirt. He was the first ruler of the Habsburg dynasty to be born in Austria and consider Austria, rather than the family domains at home in Switzerland and Swabia, to be his homeland, which greatly contributed to the growth of the duke's popularity and the expansion of the social base of ducal power in the country. Rudolf IV inherited the throne of Austria after the death of his father in 1358 and, although formally considered only one of the co-rulers, he actually ruled the state alone, since his brothers were still children.

Privilegium Maius
The reign of Rudolf IV in Austria was short, but essential for the development of Austrian statehood and strengthening the position of the state in the international arena. The central point of Rudolf's policy was the struggle to raise the status of Austria and its independence from the Holy Roman Empire. From the very beginning of the Duke's reign, relations between Austria and the Emperor became sharply complicated. In 1356, Charles IV issued the famous “Golden Bull”, limiting the right to elect the emperor to a college of seven electors and turning Germany into an oligarchic union state. Austria, like Bavaria, was not included in the number of electors. In response, Rudolph IV in 1358 published the so-called “Privilegium Maius”, a collection of decrees from previous emperors granting special rights to Austria and its monarchs and making the Austrian state virtually independent of the empire.
In particular, according to the Privilegium Maius, Austrian monarchs received the title of Archduke, placing them in the feudal hierarchy just behind the kings and electors and above the other princes of Germany. In addition, it was stated that the only obligation of the Austrian rulers towards the emperor was the deployment of a military contingent in the event of war with Hungary, and any interference of the emperor in the duke's politics was illegal. The Austrian monarch also usurped the supreme judicial power in his dominions. All Habsburg lands were declared an undivided domain, transmitted through both the male and female lines.
The Privilegium Maius documents were false, but their appearance reflected the growing influence of Austria in Germany and its desire to completely free itself from the rule of the emperor.

Conflict with the Emperor
The publication of the "Privilegium Majus" provoked an extremely hostile reaction from Emperor Charles IV. He refused to recognize the authenticity of the documents, deprived Rudolf IV of the rights of imperial vicar in Alsace and the title of Duke of Swabia, and also supported the actions of the Swiss against the Habsburgs. The Emperor managed to force Rudolf IV to abandon the use of the title of Archduke, but Charles IV had to avoid any interference in the internal affairs of Austria in order to avoid an armed conflict. As a result, Rudolph began to pursue a completely independent policy in his lands.
Relations between Austria and the emperor normalized only towards the end of the reign of Rudolf IV, which made it possible to sign an agreement on mutual inheritance between the Habsburgs and the Luxembourg dynasty in 1364.

Strengthening the central government
The main feature of the domestic policy of Rudolf IV was its decisive focus on strengthening the ducal power and creating a new, centralized state apparatus. Rudolf achieved the transfer of imperial fiefs on the territory of Austria into direct subordination to the duke. The imperial princes who had possessions in Austria recognized the right of the ducal court over them. Moreover, having captured the Patriarch of Aquileia, Rudolf IV forced him to renounce the patriarchate's land holdings in Styria, Carinthia and Carniola.
Under Rudolf IV, the feudal-class administrative system, based on the filling of government positions by ministers who received land fiefs for their service, began to be supplanted by the bureaucratic system of officials paid from the treasury. The Duke also created a broad base of central power among the cities, merchants and small landowners, actively encouraging the development of crafts and trade and supporting the colonization of lands (new settlers were exempt from taxes for three years). Some of the tax privileges of the large aristocracy were abolished and the right of the “dead hand” of the church was limited.
In 1364, wanting to prevent the possible division of Austrian possessions, Rudolf IV signed an agreement with his younger brothers that the Austrian monarchy would remain undivided and would be inherited by all the children of the monarch at once, with the eldest only being considered a regent. This provision went down in the history of Austrian state law as Rudolf's Rule (German: Rudolfinische Hausordnung), but was already violated by the heirs of Rudolf IV.

Development of education and culture
The reign of Rudolf IV was of great importance for the development of education and culture in Austria. In 1365, he founded the University of Vienna, which soon became one of the largest educational institutions in Central Europe and the oldest in the German-speaking countries (although the establishment of the Faculty of Theology, the most important at that time, was delayed for another twenty years).
Under Rudolf IV, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna was rebuilt and acquired its current architectural appearance, which could now compete with St. Vitus' Cathedral in the imperial capital, Prague. The Duke took great care to decorate Vienna and encouraged urban construction, reducing taxes and helping to establish favorable conditions for obtaining loans. A patron of culture and education, Rudolf IV, in his inclinations and lifestyle, was more reminiscent of the princes of the Italian Renaissance than of a medieval German feudal lord.

Annexation of Tyrol
In 1363, Countess Margaret of Tyrol Margarita Maultasch, yielding to the demands of Rudolf IV, abdicated the throne in his favor and transferred her Tyrolean county to him. The Bavarian Duke's attempts to prevent the establishment of Habsburg power in Tyrol failed: in the same year, Austrian troops repelled the Bavarian invasion, and in 1364 Bavaria renounced its claims to Margaret's inheritance, being satisfied with large monetary compensation. Tyrol was forever assigned to Austria.
Marriage
In 1356, Rudolf IV married Catherine of Luxembourg (1342-1395), daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
Rudolf IV had no children.

Death and burial

Drawing of the cenotaph of Rudolf and Catherine and decoding of the epitaph
In July 1365, Rudolf IV, at the age of twenty-six, unexpectedly died of the plague in Milan, leaving no offspring. He was succeeded by his younger brothers Leopold III and Albrecht III.
Rudolf IV was initially buried in the Church of St. Giovanni in Concha, but then his ashes were transferred to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna and placed in the Ducal Tomb, which Rudolf ordered to be built during his lifetime. Today, the crypt contains the remains of seventy-two representatives of the House of Habsburg.
Also, in accordance with Rudolph's order, a marble cenotaph was built in front of the cathedral altar in memory of him and his wife. Subsequently, this monument was moved to the northern aisle of the cathedral. The cenotaph is decorated with inscriptions encrypted in the “Chaldean alphabet” (Alphabetum Kaldeorum) - a code that Rudolf himself is suspected of inventing. The inscriptions read: “Here lies Rudolf, by the grace of God, Duke and Founder” and “God Almighty and our great Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd.”

The cathedral has several chapels.
Chapel (from the Latin capella, a diminutive of the Latin sarra) is a type of Catholic church, a home church in castles and palaces for private services, or a separate chapel for prayers of a noble family. The word “chapel” was first used in relation to the chapel of the Frankish kings, in which the “cloak of St. Martina."
It is often translated into Russian by the word “chapel”, although this is somewhat incorrect, since the chapel does not have an altar and is not intended for performing liturgy, while a chapel is, as a rule, a full-fledged church with an altar.
Also called a chapel is a room in the side naves of a temple or apse (the crown of chapels is a row of chapels surrounding the apse). The latter were intended to store holy relics and relics.

Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

It is located at the base of the south tower and is used as a baptistery. The 14-sided font was built in 1481.
For St. Catherine of Alexandria, see the page about frescoes in Assisi.

Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara (architect G. Puchsbaum)
Located at the base of the north tower and used as a place for prayer retreat. Guidebooks suggest paying attention to the “hanging” keystones of the vaults.

The Chapel of St. Eligius is located in the southeastern part of the cathedral.

Eloi, or Eligius(588 - c.660), Bishop of Noyon, Saint.
Memory 1 December.
Born in 588, into a Gallo-Roman family in Chaptelat, in Limousin, in an era when the Gallo-Roman and barbarian worlds, often cruel, depraved and neglected, mixed. Young Elois, who developed a taste for working with metal, was apprenticed to a goldsmith and silversmith in Limoges. Having shown his talent there, he at the same time showed himself to be pious and greedy for learning.
We know from Saint Ouen, Bishop of Rouen and author of the life of Saint Eloi, that he made the shrines of Saint Lucien, Saint Maxien and Saint Julien in the 7th century.
A little time passed, and he went to Paris and entered the service of a famous gold and silversmith, who received orders from the royal palace. So he had the opportunity to be noticed by King Clothar II, when, without deception, he managed to make two thrones with the gold allotted for only one. The king, therefore, seduced by his scrupulous honesty and great piety, accepted him into his service. He turned out to be a very authoritative adviser and even became responsible for managing the royal finances. He was probably at the forefront of the creation of silver denier. After Clothar's death in 629, his son Dagobert II inherited the united country and became king of all the Franks.
Since 632, Dagobert II is the sole ruler of his kingdom. He knew that in order to maintain the unity of the country and effective governance, he must unite the aristocrats of the kingdom around him and initiate them into the art of governing. Before sending them to the provinces along with the bishop, he assigned them responsible positions at the palace. This was also the case in the case of his famous minister Elois, who served in the chancellery before becoming Bishop of Noyon.
In 641, Elois became Bishop of Noyon and Tournai, remaining the king's advisor. Following Saint Medard, he intended to strengthen the Church of Noyon. Despite this desire to make the Good News accessible to all, paganism remained tenacious. This was one of the main concerns of the church councils that took place in Gaul in the 6th century. Moreover, some members of the clergy succumbed to “blasphemous practices,” as St. Caesarius of Arles admitted. A century later, this would be confirmed by Eloy, Bishop of Noyon, recalling that “no Christian should place an amulet on the neck of a person or animal, even if it was made by a clergyman.”
With his missionaries he sets out to evangelize regions that have not yet been converted to Christianity, from Noyon to Ghent and Courtrai in Flanders. He founded the monastery of Solignac in the south of Limoges, populating it with monks from Luxeuil and entrusting its care to Saint Remacle, the future abbot of the monastery of Stavelot-Malmedy.
Then, together with Saint Ora (Aure), he founded a convent in Paris dedicated to the Apostle of Aquitaine, Saint Martial of Limoges. He also created numerous monasteries in Ghent, Peronne, Chauny, Ourscamp, Homblieres.
He was always surrounded by the poor, to whom he gave consolation. He ransomed slaves to free them and was a tireless preacher, always setting an example of holiness.
Glorified by all, Saint Elois died in Noyon in 659/660. He was buried near the church dedicated to Saint Louis of Troyes.
The following year, his body was transferred to the mausoleum behind the main altar of the monastery. Made in 1623 by René of The Hague, a gold and silversmith from Paris, the shrine of the Saint was placed in front of the main altar of the cathedral in Noyon.
On October 23, 1793, the treasure and all valuable objects of the cathedral were sent to Paris in order to be melted there. But the shrine itself remained above the altar until November. The description of the shrine dated November 6, 1793 was compiled during the movement of the treasure:
"Under the dome, oblong, having four sides with a pediment and supported by columns depicting St. Elois in front, St. Godeberthe in the back, St. Sebastian on one side, St. Toby on the other, surrounded by statues of twelve of the apostles. St. Eloi has four rings, St. Godebert has one. The above-mentioned shrine is three feet high, not including the lantern, three and a half feet long, and two and a half feet wide."
A real character, he eventually became a hero of legend and one of the most popular saints of Western Christianity, mainly in the Middle Ages. Even today he is highly revered in the north of France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. And at the present time he remains the patron of numerous corporations connected with metal work, as well as of gold and silversmiths or blacksmiths, who dedicated many churches to him.
According to legend, before becoming a gold and silversmith, he was a blacksmith. Once, in order to make it more convenient to shoe the hoof of an unruly horse, he tore off its leg, placed it on his anvil, and then put everything in order without complications. Every year in Flanders this event is celebrated with a large pilgrimage of horses.
Saint Eloi built the chapel or chapel of Rudoroire in the suburb of Soissons, which he replaced by 645 with a monastery dedicated to Saint Louis and which later became the monastery of Saint Eloi.
It was devastated in 860 by the Normans and was only partially restored by the 13th century. By 1207, the buildings had been restored and a magnificent church had been erected, which was said to even rival Beauvais Cathedral. The monastery was again devastated in 1472, this time by the Burgundians, who looted the archives and destroyed, among other things, deeds to the property.
One hundred and twenty years later it was destroyed again during the League. King Henry IV built a fortress on this site. Meanwhile, the Benedictines received permission from Louis XIII to settle in the area where the monastery and some of its possessions were located. They restored the modest monastery and church, wanting to recreate the magnificent abbey that had existed before. In 1789 there were approximately twenty Benedictines remaining in the monastery.

The Chapel of St. Bartholomew the Apostle is located above the Chapel of St. Eligius.

Chapel of the Holy Cross
It is located in the north-eastern part of the cathedral and serves as the tomb of Prince Eugene of Savoy.
About Prince Eugene of Savoy.


The famous commander Prince Eugene of Savoy became a legend during his lifetime. He was carried out on his last journey with all honors, the expenses were paid by Kaiser Charles VI, who then decided that he had fulfilled his mission and that the heirs should take care of the tombstone. Eugene Savoysky died a wealthy man, leaving his great-niece Anna Victoria more than a million guilders. The heiress, however, did not feel any desire to fulfill her family duty. She hurried to sell off the palaces, the unique library and the collection of art treasures that she had inherited, completely forgetting about her benefactor. Only 18 years after the prince’s death, his nephew’s wife took up the construction of the monument... A large crucifix hangs above the altar of the chapel where the prince is buried. What is notable about the depiction of Christ is his beard of real hair, which, according to legend, grows and is trimmed every year on Good Friday...

Chapel of St. Valentine
Located above the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
In the reliquary of St. Valentine, dated 1440, the main relics of the temple were kept until 1933. In 1933, some of them were moved to the museum at the cathedral. Now the chapel contains the relics of St. Valentine, the skulls of Saints Cosmas and Damian, and a piece of the tablecloth of the Last Supper.

Tombs
Buried in the cathedral itself are:
Rudolf IV (prince - builder of the cathedral, died in 1365). The tombstone in the main hall is symbolic; the body was buried in the underground “ducal crypt” founded by Rudolf himself.
Frederick III (died 1493), tombstone by Nikolaus Gerhardt.
Eugene Savoysky (died 1736).
72 members of the Habsburg dynasty ("ducal crypt"). Most of these “graves” are symbolic: since 1633, the hearts (symbols) of monarchs were buried in the cathedral, and the bodies themselves were buried in the Capuchin Church.
abbots of the cathedral.

Catacombs
Under the eastern half of the cathedral and under the houses adjacent to the east there are catacombs - an underground cemetery. In 1732, Emperor Charles VI banned burials in old cemeteries inside the city walls, so in the 18th century the dead were buried underground. Before the complete ban on underground graves, issued by Joseph II in 1783, under the Cathedral of St. Stephen, up to 11 thousand bodies were buried. “Catacombs”, in the Greek manner, these dungeons began to be called only in the 19th century. The highest hierarchs of the Austrian Church are still buried in the underground episcopal crypt (the last burial was in 2004).
You can take a look back in time by taking the metro to Stephansplatz. During the construction work, the Virgilkapelle chapel, dating back to the 13th century, was opened. It was once located in the dungeon of the cemetery church of Mary Magdalene, which was demolished in 1871.

St. Stephen's Cathedral or Stefansdom, which locals often call briefly and affectionately "Steffi", is the most important symbol of the capital of Austria - the city of Vienna. From almost anywhere in the city you can see the unique majestic spire of the building, the height of which reaches 136 meters. The stunning external beauty of the cathedral is harmoniously complemented by its contents - inside the Stefansdom there is a huge number of different historical values, such as various church utensils and icons, and many works of world art. St. Stephen's Cathedral has survived to this day practically unchanged; its image can be seen in many photographs and postcards from Vienna.

Story

In 1137, on the site of the modern St. Stephen's Cathedral, the very first church in these places was founded. Ten years later, in 1147, it was built with the help of Leopold IV and the Bishop of Passau. About 100 years later, the temple needed to be expanded (one western wall in the Romanesque style from this construction has survived to this day), but soon after that, in 1258, the church unfortunately burned down. Five years later, a new church was rebuilt and consecrated on the same site. Gradually its premises grew and expanded, at which time the famous Albert Choirs were built, and all construction work was completed only after 77 years.

The first stone for the large-scale construction of a new cathedral in the Gothic style was laid in 1359 on April 7 by Rudolf IV. It was planned that the outer walls of the church surrounding the old temple would be built first, and then the old walls inside the cathedral would be dismantled. In 1430 this happened, but it was decided to leave part of the walls, in particular the Albert Choir.

The south tower, which is the highest point of Stefansdom, took almost 100 years to build and was completed in 1433. The architects also designed the second tower, the North Tower, which began to be built in 1450, was erected to a height of about 70 meters by 1511, and at this point construction was frozen.

For three centuries, St. Stephen's Cathedral was an ordinary parish church. However, in 1469 the Vienna diocese was founded here, and from that moment the majestic Stephansdom began to be considered a cathedral. Immediately after these events, interesting carved choirs were installed in the temple by the famous composer, who was also a sculptor, Wilhelm Rollinger. And a little later, in 1513, an organ was installed in the cathedral.

During the Second World War, the church was practically not damaged, but, unfortunately, already in April 1945, looters set fire to it, destroying the North Tower, which, along with its famous bell, fell and burned for a long time, losing all its interior decoration. including unique choirs and an organ.

The temple was later restored (by the way, exclusively with the help of personal donations from townspeople) and opened to visitors in 1952. But restoration work is ongoing and continues to this day.

Attractions

The unique Stefansdom, thanks to its large dimensions of 198.2 by 62 meters, contains many different interesting attractions. While visiting the cathedral, you can learn its touching history, as well as enjoy the exterior and interior of the unique building.

Observation platforms on the South and North towers

The height of the South Tower of the cathedral is 136.44 meters, the North Tower is 68.3 meters. Both towers of St. Stephen's Cathedral now have two observation decks, each of which offers beautiful views of different areas of Vienna. There are 343 steps leading to the observation deck of the South Tower, it is open from Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30, and admission to it is 5 euros for adults, 3 euros for students 15-18 years old, 2 euros for children 6-14 years. The North Tower houses the famous Pummerin bell, and an elevator takes visitors to its observation deck daily from 09:00 to 17:30, for 6 euros for adults, 2.5 euros for children 6-14 years old and 0.5 euros for organized excursions for children gardens

Cathedral roof

The roof of Stefansdom was designed very interestingly for that time. Its length is about 110 meters and its height is approximately 38 meters, while in some places the horizontal slope of the roof can reach as much as 80 degrees. This allows rainwater to thoroughly wash the tiles during precipitation, and if it suddenly snows in the city, it does not accumulate on the roof, but immediately falls down. The roof frame was originally made of wood, but after a fire in 1945 it was replaced with a steel frame. The roof is covered with approximately 230 thousand multi-colored tiles, which make up a unique image of the coat of arms of the country and the city, which is why the roof of Stefansdom looks like a gingerbread house.

Cathedral interior

The interior decoration of the temple itself is also unique. On the central portal there is the pulpit of St. John of Capistrana, famous for the fact that from it he called on all residents to gather in a crusade against the Turks. Nearby is a crucifix with an unusual expression on the face of Christ, because of which it is called “toothache”. There are also ancient iron measures, which were standards at that time, and nearby there is a sundial on an arch.

Organ

The musical instrument, which tourists and local residents can see now, was installed in the cathedral in 1960 to replace the one that burned down. A modern Rieger organ has 4 rows of keyboards, a pedal, 125 registers, and 10,000 pipes. It is one of the largest organs in Austria. Not far from the altar there is another organ, made in 1991 and having 4 keyboards, a pedal and 55 registers. It is the one most often used during services in the cathedral.

Bells

The belfry of St. Stephen's Cathedral contains 23 bells, but only 20 of them are used. The largest bell (and the second largest in Europe) is called Pummerin, in honor of the ancient bell of the same name that died in a fire in 1945, it is located in the North Tower. The weight of the modern bell is about 21 tons; it was installed in 1957. Pummerin's ringing can be heard 11 times a year: during church holidays, on April 23 on the day of the consecration of the cathedral and on the night of the New Year. At other times, another 11 bells, located in the South Tower and electrically driven, are used. These bells, of varying sizes, weighing from 35 to 5,700 kilograms, were installed in 1960.

Tombs

The remains of many famous personalities are kept in Stefansdom: these are Rudolf IV (the founder of the cathedral), Frederick III, Eugene of Savoy, 72 members of the Habsburg dynasty. Most of the graves are purely symbolic, since since 1633, only the internal organs of the rulers remained in the temple for storage, except for the hearts, which were sent to the Church of St. Augustine, and the bodies - located in the Capuchin Church.

Catacombs

Another attraction that traditionally attracts the attention of all tourists is the dungeons located under the eastern part of the cathedral. There is an ordinary cemetery there, where city residents were buried (about 11 thousand bodies in total). It is still customary to bury people in the catacombs, but now only the highest hierarchs of the Austrian church. The catacombs can only be visited as part of a guided tour. The tombs of bishops and royals, the eerie cemetery under the cathedral with all its bones guarantee an indelible impression.

Excursions

St. Stephen's Cathedral regularly hosts many different excursions. The price of the excursion with an all-inclusive ticket includes an audio guide that provides information in 23 languages ​​(an audio guide is not provided for children). Tourists are also given a map that shows all the attractions of Stefansdom. The tour lasts about 40 minutes and is offered year-round. All visitors are urged to dress and behave appropriately.

Visitors to the cathedral can also pre-book a private tour lasting about 30 minutes in German (Mon-Sun 15:00) or English (Mon-Sat 10:30). For liturgical or organizational reasons, the tour may not be available, so it must be booked in advance.

Group excursions are conducted for groups of tourists from 15 people and are booked in advance by phone or email.

Opening hours and cost of entry to the cathedral in 2019

Tours run Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays the cathedral is open to the public from 13:00 to 16:30.

The cost of entry to the cathedral is 6 euros for adults and 2.5 euros for children from 6 to 14 years old; children under 6 years old visit Stefansdom for free. An excursion to the cathedral costs 6 euros, students 14-18 years old 3.5 euros, children 0-14 years old 2 euros. A visit to the catacombs takes about half an hour and costs 6 euros, students 14-18 years old 3.5 euros, children 0-14 years old 2 euros. A combined tour of the cathedral and catacombs will cost 12 euros for adults, 7 euros for students 14-18 years old, 4 euros for children 0-14 years old. The treasury with unique works of art is open from Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00, on Sundays and holidays from 13:00 to 17:00, adults can visit it for 6 euros, children 6-14 years old for 2 euros, up to 6 years old - free.

The all-inclusive ticket allows you to visit all publicly accessible attractions in Stefansdom. The ticket is valid daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm (taking into account the different opening times of the towers, catacombs, treasury and the cathedral itself). The ticket price will be 14.90 euros for adults (with a Vienna Pass the price will be 9.90 euros), 3.90 euros for children. The duration of the excursion is 2.5 hours.

How to get to St. Stephen's Cathedral

Stephansdom is located in the very center of Vienna, so it is easiest to reach by public transport. Stephansplatz metro station on lines U1 and U3 is within walking distance. Bus routes 1A and 3A are nearby and stop at Stephansplatz. It is better not to come here with a personal car, as it will be difficult to find a parking space in the city center, but when traveling you need to stick to the A1, A2, A4, A21 or A23 motorway (but then it is better to change to the metro). The situation is the same with taxis, but if such a need arises, you can use the following companies: Flughafen Taxi, Taxi 31300, Taxi Center and many others.

Stephansdom on Google Panoramas

Google panorama of Stefansdom interiors

Video of St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the residence of the cardinal archbishop, the greatest religious building in Vienna. The 137-meter tower has long become a symbol of the city.

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom or Steffl for short) was consecrated in 1147. This is the residence of the cardinal archbishop, the greatest religious building in Vienna. The 137-meter tower has long become a symbol of the city. From the late Romanesque construction, begun under Frederick II, what remains is the western façade with the Giant Gate and pagan towers.

Under Rudolph IV, construction of the Gothic longitudinal nave began (from 1259), the southern tower (St. Stephen's Tower) was completed in 1433. Work on the North Tower began in 1511 by Hans Puxbaum, and in 1556 the bell tower was installed. The peak of restoration work occurred in the 19th century. However, as a result of the damage caused by the bombing in 1945, serious reconstruction efforts were required, which lasted until 1961, to which all the Federal States of Austria contributed.

One of the most significant late Romanesque works of art in Austria is the Gigantic Gate, an arched horn gate with rich sculptural decoration (c. 1240).

An indelible impression is made by the Gothic three-part longitudinal nave and early Gothic choir, in the middle part of which stained glass windows from 1340-1360 have been preserved. and a reticulated vault resting on columns.

Mostly baroque altars stand near the columns. On one of the columns, the cathedral architect Anton Pilgram installed a four-meter high Cathedra, the main work of late Gothic stone carving (1514-1515), decorated with busts of four church fathers (Ambrosius, Jerome, Pope Gregory and Augustine). At the foot of the pulpit, the master placed his self-portrait, popularly known as “The Window Gawker.”

The cathedral column also houses the Madonna of the Servants, an early Gothic statue of Mary dating back to 1320.

Particularly revered is the Pötzsch Madonna, standing under a canopy in the right nave next to the Singing Portal.

Among the outstanding attractions is the tombstone of Emperor Frederick III (died 1493), the most luxurious Gothic funerary monument by Niklas Gerchert van Leyden. The upper part is a reclining figure of the emperor, carved from red marble.

Interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral

In the high choir with Baroque seats behind the modern altar stands the black marble high altar by Johann Jacob Pok (1649-1670). Beautiful altar painting “St. Stephen Stoned" and "The Assumption of Mary" were painted by Tobias Pock. The Vienna Neustadt Altarpiece is a carved Gothic door altar donated in 1447 by Emperor Frederick III and brought from the Neustadt Neuklosterkirche.

Pec Icon of the Virgin Mary

In the hall of the northern tower there is the original “God of Toothache” (a copy of the sculpture is on the outer wall of the choir). Near the entrance to the elevator of the North Tower (at the top of which is the famous Pummerin bell) you will see the late Gothic base of the organ (the organ itself is missing), on which Anton Pilgram also placed his self-portrait.

From the north tower chapel you can descend into the catacombs, an extensive network of tunnels and rooms that served as a crypt when space in the Stephansplatz cemetery became scarce. Joseph II banned this method of burial and ordered the catacombs to be cleaned and walled up in 1872. The ducal tomb, built at the request of Rudolf IV the Founder, is currently accessible. Since the 17th century here the entrails of all the Habsburgs are kept in copper urns