Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nearbybuildings,andtheembersleapttothecathedralrooftop.TheoriginaltimberedGothic
roof burned, the cathedral's huge bell crashed to the ground, and the fire raged for two days.
Civic pride prompted a financial outpouring, and the roof was rebuilt to its original splendor
by 1952—doubly impressive considering the bombed-out state of the country at that time.
• Circle the church exterior counterclockwise, passing the entrance to the
south tower.
If
you're up for climbing the 343 stairs to the top, you could do it now, but it's better to wait
until the end of this tour (tower climb described at the end of this tour).
Asyouhookaroundbehindthechurch,lookforthecathedralbookshop(Dombuchhand-
lung) at the end of the block. Pause in front of that shop and look toward the cathedral.
Just above street level, notice the marble
pulpit
under the golden starburst. The priest
would stand here, stoking public opinion against the Ottomans, in front of crowds far bigger
than could fit into the church. Above the pulpit (in a scene from around 1700), a saint stands
victoriously atop a vanquished Turk.
• Continue circling the church, passing a line of horse carriages waiting to take tourists for
a ride. Go all the way around to the west facade.
The Romanesque-style
main entrance
is the oldest part of the church (c. 1240—part of
a church that stood here before). Right behind you is the site of Vindobona, a Roman garris-
on town. Before the Romans converted to Christianity, there was a pagan temple here, and
this entrance pays homage to that ancient heritage. Roman-era statues are embedded in the
facade, and the two
octagonal towers
flanking the main doorway are dubbed the “heathen
towers” because they're built with a few recycled Roman stones (flipped over to hide the
pagan inscriptions and expose the smooth sides).
• Enter the church.
CathedralInterior:
Findaspottopeerthroughthegatedowntheimmense
nave
—more
than a football field long and nine stories tall. It's lined with clusters of slender pillars that
soar upward to support the ribbed crisscross arches of the ceiling. Stylistically, the nave is
Gothic with a Baroque overlay. It's a spacious, glorious venue that's often used for high-
profile concerts (there's a ticket office outside the church, to the right as you face the main
doorway).
To the right as you enter, in a gold-and-silver sunburst frame, is a crude Byzantine-
style
Maria Pócs Icon
(Pötscher Madonna), brought here from a humble Hungarian village
church. The picture of Mary and Child is said to have wept real tears in 1697, as Central
Europe was once again being threatened by the Turks.
Along the left wall is the
gift shop.
Step in to marvel at the 14th-century statuary decor-
ating its wall—some of the finest carvings in the church.
To the left of the gift shop is the gated entrance to the
Chapel of Prince Eugene of Sa-
voy.
Prince Eugene (1663-1736), a teenage seminary student from France, arrived in Vienna
