St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna: historical fate and architectural features. The national symbol of Austria is St. Stephen's Cathedral. St. Stephen's Cathedral: architecture, relics and attractions St. Stephen's Cathedral where is it located

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(German: Stephansdom) is a Catholic cathedral, the national symbol of Vienna and all of Austria. The history of the cathedral began in 1137, when a small church was built in the Romanesque style. During the XIII-XV centuries, the church was rebuilt and expanded several times. Only by 1511 the landmark turns into St. Stephen's Cathedral and acquires the Gothic appearance with rich external and internal decoration that has become famous throughout the world.

The burials of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty (72 graves of members of the royal family) also add significance to the cathedral. However, despite the pompous design of the tombstones, most of them are symbolic (since 1633, only the internal organs of the Habsburgs were buried in the cathedral, their bodies were buried in the Capuchin Church, and their hearts in the Church of St. Augustine).

Two towers deserve special attention: the southern and the northern. The South Tower, which reaches a height of more than 136 meters, serves as an excellent observation deck for views of old Vienna and its surroundings. And, if the southern one is famous for its staircase with 343 steps, then the northern one is famous for its majestic dome, rising at a height of more than 68 meters. The north tower remained unfinished for a long time. Only in 1579 it was crowned with a Renaissance dome, which stands out strongly against the background of the Gothic appearance of the entire cathedral. It is under the arch of this dome that the Pummerin bell is located - the largest bell in Austria. This is the second bell in Europe (after the Cologne one), the size of which is truly surprising. Its mass reaches 22 tons, its diameter is more than 3 meters, its height is almost 3 meters, and its wall thickness is 23 centimeters. To cast the bell in 1711, 180 Turkish cannons captured in the Battle of Vienna in 1683 were used. The new Pummerin was cast in 1957 from fragments of the old bell, which was broken in a fire in April 1945.

While examining the architecture of the cathedral, one cannot help but pay attention to the unusual multi-colored roof tiles, which are decorated with images of the city and national coats of arms. In total, 230,000 tile elements were spent on ornamentation. If we talk about the interior decoration of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the art treasures and numerous relics stored here deserve attention. These include stained glass windows, medieval sculptures, monuments and tombstones, altars and pulpits by famous sculptors. Let's take a closer look at the departments:

• Episcopal see 15th century, 4 meters high, located in the center of the main nave. It is decorated with statues of four church teachers: Gregory the Great, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome of Stridon and Augustine the Blessed. The railings are decorated with fantastic patterns of lizards and toads, representing the struggle between good and evil. Under the stairs, the master placed his self-portrait, popularly known as “The Window Gawker.”
• Chair of St. Joanna Capistrana. Located near the main entrance to the cathedral. It is believed that it was from this place that in 1454 the preacher John Capistran called on the Austrians to crusade against the Turks.

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Austria) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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St. Stephen's Cathedral is a symbol not only of Vienna, but of the whole of Austria. Its majestic spire, rising 136 m, is visible from most areas of the capital. The grandiose Gothic cathedral on the main square of the city is known not only for its external beauty, but for its numerous relics: icons, church utensils and world-class works of art. “Steffi,” as the Viennese lovingly call him, survived the previous 700 years almost without loss, survived many wars, but in our time he could not protect himself from simple human stupidity. And yet, looking at the stunning mosaic roof, pointed vaults and impressive stained glass windows, I want to believe that St. Stephen's Cathedral will never disappear from the Viennese landscape.

Story

The history of "Steffi" began in 1359, when the first stone of the new Vienna Catholic Cathedral was laid. Its dominant feature, the South Tower, took almost a century to build.

The North Tower, founded in 1450, was supposed to be no less majestic. However, it was never completed, frozen at a height of 70 m.

Today, observation platforms are open in both towers, allowing you to admire the picturesque views of the city.

The temple was almost undamaged during the bombing of World War II, but was heavily destroyed by looters' arson in April 1945. The north tower fell along with the legendary Pummerin bell, and the decorations were destroyed in the fire.

Restoration work was carried out with private donations from the Viennese. “Steffi” opened its doors again only in 1952. Its restoration continues to this day.

What to see

Today, a total of 23 bells are installed in the belfries of the temple. The main one - the updated Pummerin weighing 21 tons - is located in its usual place, in the North Tower. He calls only 11 times a year - on major holidays. And the hourly ringing, familiar to every crown, is provided by 11 bells of the South Tower.

It’s as if the gingerbread roof of the cathedral was assembled from 230 thousand tiles.

In the crypt there is a Habsburg family tomb, and in its eastern wing there are catacombs. Ordinary Viennese were also buried in this underground cemetery.

Practical information

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday - 6:00-22:00, Sunday - 7:00-22:00.

Entrance to all attractions (cathedral, catacombs, South and North towers, treasury) with audio guide: 14.90 EUR. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is a symbol of the city and all of Austria. It is difficult to pass by this majestic structure when you find yourself in the center of Vienna. Before traveling to the capital of Austria, I studied to a greater extent the places that you can visit with children, but I only knew in general terms about the standard attractions. Firstly, there are too many of them to know everything at once. Secondly, I don’t like hackneyed places, so I try to avoid them with rare exceptions. We weren’t planning on going to the Stephansdom Cathedral at all, but it is located in the heart of the Austrian capital, moreover, it proudly towers over all the buildings around, so it’s hard not to notice it. And once you are nearby, you admire its high towers in the Gothic style, every detail of it. Entrance to St. Stephen's Cathedral is completely free, so why don't we go there, right? ;)

Previously, I had only seen Catholic cathedrals in Goa, where the Portuguese left their Christian heritage. There they are small, light and openwork. There are dark halls with huge mosaic windows, high ceilings, arches...

The most incredible impressions! The grandeur of the structure is amazing. And this was built hundreds of years ago? How did they build such power?

It is difficult to imagine what impression such a temple made on people in the Middle Ages, when life took place in small houses. And here is such greatness. Undoubtedly, the goal was one - to make people tremble before God. I'm sure it was achieved. Even I, not a fan of religion, especially Catholic, exhaled at the entrance to Stefansdom and turned my head in all directions in fascination.

If not for these white installations, the main hall of the cathedral would look like it did in previous centuries. Here the magical acoustics and sounds of the organ simply penetrate you. Truly geniuses calculated all this and built such temples.

In this hall I heard monastic Catholic songs live for the first time. I think many have heard this style in various Western songs, because... producers sometimes use similar cuts in modern works. The very first song in which I heard such monastic chants was, of course, “Sadeness” from Enigma. And in general, Enigma had a whole album in a similar style. If you don't remember, then listen and you will immediately understand everything. And the same male voices crashed through all the vaults of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and penetrated into the very core, to the point of goosebumps and tears.

But not everything was good. In addition to all the power that presses on your consciousness, making you a small man before the enormous divine forces, every detail of the temple also reminds you of the sinfulness of your life. All the sculptures on the walls with terribly suffering gray faces, pictures with terrible torment in fiery Gehenna. I don’t like in religions, especially in Catholicism, these attempts to intimidate mere mortals “God’s servants”.

But this is a lyrical digression and, honestly, after this ancient cathedral, after the ancient churches on the Way of Santiago, after the main temple in Santiago de Compostela with its medieval bell, ringing in all parts of the city, I was imbued with great sympathy and respect for Catholic churches . I have to admit that they really think well about God and the eternal.

You can light a candle for 0.75 euros. Not exactly cheap, although quite normal for Austria, but the main thing is that the candles are real - a living fire. I can’t stand the modern fashion for special machines where you have to throw a coin in order for a light bulb in the form of a candle to light up. This is not even funny, but in truth it is more than disgusting, another invention of the Vatican, like indulgences in their time.

Although entrance to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is free, there is money to spend there. In addition to candles, you can part with money in a souvenir shop, where they sell various cute Viennese-themed things and all sorts of coins or postcards with images of the Cathedral.

There are also various excursions for visitors here. We chose to climb the North Tower for 5.5 euros.

For the same price, you can, on the contrary, go down into the catacombs in order to look at the burials of thousands of people, including many Austrian rulers over the last millennium. These are mainly representatives of the Habsburg dynasty. But my child and I didn’t want to look at the remains of corpses, even if they were very famous (and even without a child I was of little interest), so I preferred to rise closer to the sky rather than go down into the dungeon.

The tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral is quite high, we went up there by elevator. The views from the observation deck are simply amazing! Just think that this is the capital of Austria! Such a miniature and stunted town =)

On the other hand, there are practically no high-rise buildings in Vienna. The square is visible below. Horses crowd on it)

Here you can take a tour of Vienna in a carriage. It will cost 55 euros for a 20-minute trip. Although, in my opinion, it is much more interesting to use the Tripster, taking something unusual from the locals. Still, seeing the city through the eyes of the people living in it is an invaluable experience.

The horses are clean and well-groomed, but they relieve their natural needs directly on the road. Of course, clean Austrians clean everything as much as possible, but this only partially eliminates the smell. Therefore, not only the square, but also the cathedral itself is thoroughly saturated with the aroma of horse manure.

But in past centuries there were many times more carriages and horses on the streets of Vienna; a noble miasma probably filled the air. The capital of Austria has seen so much in what centuries it has stood. It’s amazing that the cathedral was first built on this site in 1137! Subsequently, it was completed and expanded, changing its appearance from Romanesque to Gothic, and eventually by 1511 it acquired its modern appearance.

During the Second World War, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna was badly damaged by a fire, which, oddly enough, was started by looters, and not by German or Soviet soldiers. Because of the fire, the roof collapsed and a huge bell fell from the tower, severely damaging the entire temple. By 1948, the Cathedral was restored by volunteers, but restoration work is still underway.

I can say with confidence that St. Stephen's Cathedral is a symbol of Vienna for a reason. I have never seen a more majestic and grandiose structure, which is also an ancient heritage. I understand that my experience is not enough and it is impossible to judge from it, but I am sure that if you were in Vienna, you would never regret it if you saw this cathedral with your own eyes.

Stephansdom - information for visitors

St. Stephen's Cathedral opening hours

The cathedral is open daily from 6.00 to 22.00. On Sundays and holidays from 07:00 to 22:00.
. Tours of the catacombs every half hour or 15 minutes, lasting about 30 minutes at 10:00 - 10:30 and at 13:30 - 16:30 every day except Sunday.
. Elevator to the Pummerin Bell to the North Tower - daily from 08.15 to 16.25 hours (January - June and September - December); daily from 08.15 to 18.00 (July and August).
. Ascent to the South Tower daily from 09.00 to 17:00.
. Evening tour with inspection of the attic space on Saturdays at 19:00 (only from July to September).

Prices for excursions to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

The cathedral has a general ticket for visiting all its nooks and crannies, costing 17.90 euros for an adult and 4.90 euros for a child. During our visit there were discounts on these tickets - 13.90 and 2.90 euros. But I’m not sure that there are always discounts, so I initially wrote the usual full price. Taking such a ticket is undoubtedly more profitable, but if you don’t want to visit everything, then it’s easier to take a ticket to just somewhere in one place (the line divides the prices for adults and children):
. Guided tour of the cathedral - 5.5 euros / 2 euros
. Cathedral tour with audio guide - 4.5 euros/1.5 euros
. Catacombs with a guide (group) - 5.5 euros / 2 euros
. North Tower (lift access) – 5.5 euros/2 euros
. South Tower (ascent by steps) - 4.5 euros/1.5 euros

St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna how to get there

The cathedral is located on Stephansplatz. Metro station of the same name Stephansplatz(lines U1 and U3) goes directly opposite the main gate of the temple, so it’s simply impossible not to find or not notice it :) Well, just walking in the center, next to the Vienna Opera and Albertina, you can easily notice the towers of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which rise like prickly cacti above all the houses. That’s exactly how we noticed him and went to these towers.

St. Stephen's Cathedral on the map

If you are planning a trip to Vienna, I also recommend reading my article about renting an apartment in Vienna by the day, in which I describe not only our experience of how to rent an apartment in Vienna, but also review hotels in Vienna with a convenient map and the ability to select a hotel in the one you choose price range. This is very convenient, and most importantly, it will help you save your money, because the Austrian capital is a very expensive city.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the main cathedral of Vienna. I decided to write a separate post about it, since there is a lot of interesting stuff inside. Like many European cathedrals, it was built and rebuilt many times and absorbed many styles, in accordance with the eras that passed behind its walls. And now the cathedral is unfinished. The northern tower was supposed to be the same as the southern one, but it was only half completed. There wasn't enough money. In fact, this is not such a rare case. In Malaga, for example, there is also a cathedral with one tower and an unfinished second. The residents of Malaga call their cathedral “The One-Armed Lady.” It's the same story here. By the way, you can climb both towers - there are observation decks, and you can also go down into the dark catacombs, where dead citizens were buried in the Middle Ages. But first things first.

1. Now St. Stephen's Cathedral is the coolest Gothic cathedral. It is surprising that he was not injured in the last war and was spared the bombing. However, in fairness, such noticeable structures served as an excellent reference point for aircraft during bombing and they were left untouched so that they could navigate the city plan. Likewise, Cologne Cathedral survived, although the rest of the city fell into ruins.

2. Gothic cathedrals delight me with their monumentality and.... gothicity. There are such wonderful things on the walls.

3. But this comrade John Capistran was awarded such a sculpture because he called for a crusade against the Turks and heretics. They say he was quite harsh towards non-believers.

4. Next to the cathedral, its smaller copy in bronze is beautiful.

5. And here is the northern tower. It can be seen that this stump is only half built. A small turret was attached to the top and now there is an observation deck. Now the tower most likely will not be completed and the cathedral will not take the form originally intended by the architect.

6. It's even more interesting inside. And although St. Stephen's Cathedral is inferior in scale and richness of decoration to the Seville Cathedral, it is still impressive.

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8. The cathedral has beautiful paintings and sculptures. In general, the inside is quite well decorated.

9. The main decoration is high lancet windows and arches.

10. The cathedral is active - people come here to pray and light candles. Tourists are not allowed during services.

11. Amazing organ.

12. The girl even opened her mouth from the beauty of the organ, which is located exactly above the main entrance.

13. In Catholic cathedrals I am pleased with the abundance of sculptures. Indeed, it is not a cathedral - just a museum of fine art. Some are made of stone, and this one is made of wood.

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17. The interior of the cathedral creates a special atmosphere. The walls smell of antiquity. Heavy dark walls press in.

18. Sculptures again.

19. You can climb the towers of the cathedral and see Vienna from above. You have to climb the southern tower on foot, but there is an elevator to the northern one. A sign in front of the elevator warns that backpacks are not allowed. But this probably applies to large tourists; they let me in with a backpack.

20. At the top, the observation deck is fenced with such a large-mesh mesh that prevents a person from falling, but does not interfere with photography at all.

21. A huge bell hangs in the bell tower. By the way, in 1945 there was a fire in the cathedral and the huge Pummerin bell that was hanging there at that time, pulled down by debris from the roof, fell down, broke and destroyed many interior parts.

22. Since the northern tower is not higher than the ridge of the cathedral roof, you can only see from here what lies north of the cathedral. The Alps are visible in the distance. By the way, it is the water flowing from the Alps that feeds the local water supply system. The water can be drunk directly from the tap.

23. Stunningly steep tiled roof.

24. On the roof are the coats of arms of Austria and Vienna itself.

25. On the square in front of the cathedral, enter the underground parking lot. They played it very well and fit it into the architecture of the old square.

26. Here you can see that the tower was simply completed to a certain level and stopped. It's as if the top was cut off with a knife.

27. Directly opposite the cathedral is a house with an old tiled roof.

28. Here you can look through binoculars for a coin. What to look for is immediately marked on the panorama.

29. The observation deck is organized quite competently.

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31. In the far left is a pipe with a shiny golden ball. What do you think this is? This is a waste incineration plant.

32. Gothic elements on the tower.

33. Below are fiacres - carriages drawn by horses. They take tourists around the city center - very atmospheric.

34. There is a cockerel on the spire.

35. After going up, it's time to go down. There, behind the door below are the catacombs where the inhabitants of Vienna were buried for hundreds of years. There is now a huge ossuary there. Quite a creepy place. They don't even allow photography there. But we'll try anyway.

36. There is a small chapel below.

37. Quite simple.

38. There are also fragments of sculptures from the design of, as I understand it, the cathedral. Probably the remains saved after the fire in 1945, although I’m not sure.

39. The catacombs themselves are just such tunnels with brick vaults. in the tunnels there were chambers in which people were buried. Well, that is, in fact, they were stacked in stacks. When there was not enough space, and the fetid smell of rotting bodies became unbearable, the bones were cleaned of flesh and stacked with German pedantry.

40. Here's what's inside one chamber. It's creepy. According to various estimates, up to 10,000 people are buried in the catacombs of St. Stephen.

41. Now the cells are walled up, but in some places these windows are left.

42. Exit from the catacombs to the street. Warning sign.

43. Well, just a little bit of the evening cathedral.

44. Romanesque towers and portal. Once it gets dark, you can also get into the cathedral, but to be honest, we limited ourselves to a daytime visit.