Friday, October 14, 2022

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Not one of our favorites and perhaps not even in Europe's top 100 (ask Sir Simon), but an obligatory stop if you're visiting Vienna. It's a late entry as a Gothic, never completely finished before Gothic went out of style, and also on the smallish side. No galleries, triforia, nor clerestory. Much of it was built as a parish church before Vienna became the capital of both state and empire. Still, you have to go.

Drone view; its most famous feature is its
tile roof; the interesting part of said roof covers
the chancel, behind the south tower, and, due
to the hemmed-in nature of the building and the
steep pitch of the roof, it is seldom seen


























Nave view; Gothic architecture, Baroque interior

The organ is from 1906, but is broken and apparently can't be
fixed; it may be holding up that end of the church and so can't
be moved

North aisle

South

Carving throughout the church

One of the relics, the Maria Potsch, of Hungarian provenance,
safeguarded to Vienna from the advancing Ottoman hordes...said
to have cried real tears...

Ever popular St. Sebastian, patron saint of archery



Anton Pilgram, Czech sculptor who maybe did the impressive pulpit;
yes, but why would a sculptor be holding a T-square? A Cubist
sculptor? No, this guy, whoever he was, was an architect...

Crowning of Mary triptych, the Neustadter Altar

Looking astern to the defunct organ

Leading to the pulpit


Featuring four of the church doctors, in various moody poses,
Jerome, Gregory, Augustine, and Ambrose

Helpful model outside

The great south tower; the north one was never
finished; Gothic went out of style

South-side of the nave tile roofing; the pitch is so steep that rain
cleans it thoroughly and snow won't stick to it

Historical displays outside; the church was pretty
much unscathed until the Red Army was entering
the city in 1945; then looters caused fires in nearby
shops, which spread to the church; the roof came
tumbling down; but much was saved, and the whole
thing functional again by the early 50s

Many interesting gargoyles

But no funny faces

Outside pulpit for really big crowds; note the skewered
Turk...

On the north side of the church is the parking and washing 
stand for the city's touring carriages; holy horse shit, Batman!

Advertising helps support the mission of the church

The west end and its two towers are the oldest parts...Romanesque

Including bits and pieces from the Roman temple that presumably
once stood on the site

"Don't try, Wilbur...it's bigger than both of us!"


1 comment:

Tawana said...

I don't think that is a T-square. Sure doesn't look like the ones I used in drafting class.