St. Stephen's Cathedral the symbol of Vienna and it is one of the most important Gothic structures in Austria.
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St. Stephen's Cathedral is 107.2 meters long and 34.2 meters wide. It has four towers. The tallest of these is the south tower at 136.44 meters. A total of 13 bells hang here. However, the best-known bell of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Pummerin, is located in the 68.3 meter-tall north tower. It is the second-biggest free-swinging chimed church bell in Europe.
Stephansdom in Wien
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On the roof of St. Stephen's Cathedral, colorful roof tiles were laid to create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna. The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral was changed again and again over the centuries, right through to the Baroque period. The sound of the 'Pummerin', the cathedrals big bell, is used to celebrate New Year in Austria.
History of St. Stephen's Cathedral
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St. Stephen's Cathedral is 107.2 meters long and 34.2 meters wide. It has four towers. The tallest of these is the south tower at 136.44 meters. A total of 13 bells hang here. However, the best-known bell of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Pummerin, is located in the 68.3 meter-tall north tower. It is the second-biggest free-swinging chimed church bell in Europe.
Stephansdom in Wien
History of St. Stephen's Cathedral
St. Stephen's Cathedral was built in 1147 AD. For a long time it was uncontested as highest building in Europe measuring almost 137 m. Duke Rudolf IV of Habsburg ordered the complete restructuring of the church in Gothic style. In 1359, he laid the cornerstone of the nave with its two aisles. The South Tower, was completed in 1433 (the Viennese have given it the nickname "Steffl," representative of the whole cathedral).
The cathedral has got two very impressive features: The gigantic roof, and the tall, lean tower (136,7 metres of hight). One can find only few gothic towers of such height that were finished in the Middle Ages. Inside the Cathedral there are many art treasures like the tomb of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1754), the Altarpiece of Wiener Neustadt, the pulpit by Anton Pilgram (1514-15), the sepulcher of Emperor Frederik III by Niclas Gerhaert (1467-1513), the watchman`s lookout, a self portrait of the sculptor, and the Gothic winged altar.
Myths
Many myths are being told about Vienna's famous landmark: Find out about this weird indentation of the wall at the left side of the main entrance, which was used to measure the size of a loaf of bread by dissatisfied customers.
Then there's the story of the Servants' Madonna, which once saved an innocent girl from being arrested for stealing.
At the cathedral's apse you can admire the so-called "Zahnwehherrgott" (Lord of tooth ache), an 'ecce homo' statue once situated at the graveyard outside the cathedral.
And what about the incomplete northern steeple? Financial troubles because of the permanent threat of a Turkish siege? But the legend of the young architect who was mortally in love with the daughter of the architect building the southern steeple is much more intriguing...
A source text: wien.info, aboutvienna.org
Photos courtesy Piotr Piekarski.