Highlights of St Stephen’s Cathedral Interior Vienna
For Austrians St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the most important and beloved landmarks of Vienna city. From wherever you stand in the city the spires of the cathedral are visible. Particularly the south tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral! The cathedral tour can take time. Here are 7 Major Highlights of St Stephen’s Cathedral interior, Vienna that you must not miss.
History of St Stephen’s Cathedral
St Stephens Cathedral came up as Romanesque church in 1137AD. The church was dedicated to St. Stephen in 1147. By 1160 the church achieved a rough completion. Sadly a great fire in 1258 destroyed much of the original building.
The 2 towers were reused and a larger replacement structure was constructed over the ruins of the old church. Several changes and reconstruction went on in the coming years. Major reconstruction and expansion lasted until 1511.
The World War II had disastrous effect on St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It was nearly completely destroyed. Its reconstruction went on from 1948 until 1962. The whole nation came forward to restore the Cathedral’s past glory. It is revered as symbol of Austria’s illustrious past.
Ceiling of the St Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna
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Highlights of St Stephen’s Cathedral Interior Vienna
Thankfully photography was permitted in the interiors of St Stephen’s Cathedral. It is huge, spacious, with three aisles divided by tall clustered pillars. On the pillars are life size statues of various saints. Not many colors, mostly gray, yet the details are attractive. The whole tour of the cathedral is in 3 parts, the interiors itself, the crypt and third part – climb 343 stairs up the tower to have a good view of the city.
The major highlights of St. Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna are:
Giant Door of St Stephens Vienna
As you enter observe the door and door details of St Stephen Cathedral. During excavations in 1443 they stumbled on a huge thigh bone. The locals then believed it be of a giant man who helped in building the cathedral. They hung it over the main entrance and since then the gate is named as Giant’s Door. Just above the frame is Christ flanked by 2 angels holding His aura.
Later the bone proved to belong to a mammoth, found a house in Geological Institute at the University of Vienna.
Giant Door Highlights of St Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna
The main entrance to St. Stephen’s Cathedral is through the main portal, known as the Riesentor, the ‘Giant’s door’, on the west side of the cathedral opposite the access to the underground station.
High Altar of St Stephen
As soon as you enter the first focal point is the distant High Altar. It took 7 years, from 1641 to 1647, to build it. Here on this High Altar there is depiction of the stoning of the church’s patron St. Stephen. The other saints surrounding this scene are Saints Leopold, Sebastian, Florian, and Rochus. It is believed to be a glimpse of heaven where Christ waits for Stephen (the first martyr).
Highlights of Stephens Cathedral Vienna
The Pulpit in Vienna Cathedral
Observe closely to see the carvings of hellish creatures, frogs and lizards, on the handrail of the parapet. The depiction is of struggles and fights with each other to ascend to the pulpit. Two guard dogs at the top symbolize the eternal fight of good over evil.
4 Church Fathers appear on pulpit. They represent the 4 stages of life.
Beneath the pulpit is the medieval master builder, Antan Pilgram bearing the weight on his shoulder and holding his tools, the compass and angle measure.
Observe the carvings of hellish creatures, frogs and lizards, on the handrail.
Antan Pilgram with his tools St Stephen Vienna
Wiener Neustadter Altar in Stephansdom Wien
The Wiener Neustadter Altar is the most attractive of highlights of St. Stephen Cathedral. The shrine has 2 triptychs. Panels in this are decorated with paintings and reliefs. The upper panel is larger and has more stories depicted. Gilded wooden figures depict various life stories of Mother Mary.
Wiener Neustadter Altar St Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna
Organ at St. Stephen
Yet another of Highlights of Stephens Cathedral Vienna is the organ. The original organ at St Stephen’s disappeared in 1720. Wiki mentions: “After the 1945 fire, Michael Kauffmann finished a large electric action pipe organ in 1960 with 125 voices and 4 manuals.”
New organ installed in 1960 had 10,000 pipes. This was financed with public donations. In 1991, the Austrian firm of Rieger rebuilt the choir organ as a mechanical organ. It has 56 voices and 4 manuals.
Choir organ of Stephens Cathedral Vienna
Maria Pötsch Icon
Another noteworthy iconic figure is that of Maria Pötsch Icon (MP). It is a Byzantine (brought from Hungarian Byzantine Catholic shrine) style icon of St. Mary with the child Jesus. The picture shows the Mother Mary pointing to the child (signifying “He is the way”).
The Child is holding a three-stemmed rose (symbolizing the Holy Trinity). There are stories that in 1696 Mother Mary in this picture shed real tears! On the basis of these stories the Emperor Leopold I ordered it to be brought to Vienna and placed placed it in St. Stephen.
Maria Pötsch Icon
Crypt of St Stephen’s Cathedral
The inner chambers in the crypt are full of the bones of countless Black Plague victims; neatly stacked and lined up. It is slightly scary to think that urns still had the internal organs of members of the ruling family. One has to take guided tours to visit these.
Window of st stephen
Interesting Facts of St Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna
- Unfinished Northern Tower – The Northern Tower has remained unfinished at a mere 50 percent of its intended height. It is topped by a Renaissance cupola.
- Colored Roof Tiles – An interesting exterior feature is the tiled roof in a coloured zigzag pattern.
- Climb to Rooftop – Reaching the top (it’s not actually the very top) of Stephansdom Cathedral’s South Tower involves a 67 m climb and 343 steps up a dusky, narrow staircase.
- Six Chapels in Vienna Church – There are six chapels inside the cathedral:
- Saint Barbara’s under the North Tower
- Saint Catherine’s under the South Tower
- The Chapel of the Cross in the northeast corner
- St Eligius’s in the southeast corner
- St Bartholomew’s
- St Valentine’s (which holds the sepulcher of Saint Valentine)
- The South Tower, a watchman’s apartment – For several centuries in the past, the South Tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna served a crucial role as a watchman’s apartment. It took the role of a strategic vantage point for military surveillance and fire alarms. During the Second Turkish Siege of 1683, Ernst Rüdiger Graf Starhemberg, the city commander, utilized this elevated post for vigilant reconnaissance of enemy movements. From this unexpected “command and control center,” he orchestrated the defense efforts, demonstrating remarkable leadership in the face of adversity.
- 23 Working Bells – Saint Stephen’s has a total of twenty-three working bells. One of them is the Austria’s largest (and Europe’s second-largest), the immensely popular Pummerin (Boomer), dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is said that the bell was founded of three hundred Turkish cannons captured after the siege of Vienna by Sultan Mehmed IV in 1683. The bell is decorated by a crown showing the heads of six Turks. It rings in the New Year, Christmas, Easter, All Saints Day, and only very few other major events due to its structure-endangering weight (20,109.392 kg).
door frame of st stephen
Entry to Stephansdom Wien
Visitors can enter the cathedral free of charge. Only a part of St Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna interior is free. There are areas within the church to which there is only paid access.
Enjoy a classical concert from Mozart, Bach, and more seasonal recitals at Vienna’s landmark St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Dress Code for Vienna Cathedral
The cathedral chapter asks that all visitors to the cathedral, worshippers and tourists alike, must wear clothing appropriate to the dignity of the church. Male visitors are asked to remove any headwear.
The Giant’s Door is so fascinating, I love the story that it’s believed a giant man helped build the cathedral! Also, the two guard dogs at the pulpit – what they symbolize is so interesting! ?
Such a stunning cathedral. This old churches offer stuck beautiful places to reflect on life
That is a very beautiful church and really old. I haven’t heard of a church being from the 12th century.
Magnificent! Are the bones on display?
Wow, thanks for sharing these photos. How I wish I could see this one in person. Beautiful! Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Wow, very grand.
What a magnificent building it is! Just awesome! Do they play the organ with 10,000 pipes? I wish I could listen to the sound.
Best wishes,
Keiko
Amazing cathedral and photos!
Beautiful architecture. Fantastic shots.
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hi indrani
excellent, great work
thanks for sharing
Your photos are amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Joyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Awesome architecture and ornaments.
It is amazing they allow photography in the interior, some places are so strict about that, which can be a great shame.
Beautiful cathedral and terrific photo's.
A truly beautiful interior of this great gothic cathedral. Your photography certainly does it justice.
What an architecture and art work !!
Stunning!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Oh, wow. I can`t believe all this details. So big, great and beautiful Cathedral. We do not have anything like this here..
Indrani, what great photos of St Stephen's. I learned a lot, too!
Fabulous workmanship, great photos and I imagine the sound from that (new) organ reverberating delightfully around every nook and cranny of the cathedral. Thanks for the opportunity to see this marvellous structure.
Lovely interiors .
These cathedrals should be kept in good condition for ever! Thank you for sharing these wonderful images!
wow! beautiful pictures with beautiful colors, I like all their delicious frames. I walk around the cathedral.
Splendid, really splendid.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures of this magnificent cathedral.
Fabulous details of this magnificent cathedral!
I could imagine the resounding notes of the organ!
It is a beautiful space, the walls soar much as do the valley walls of Yosemite. I hope you do get to see it someday. Every time I visit I realize how many people from all around the world are drawn to visit this park.
What a spendid cathedral, beautifully photographed.
Fabulous interiors of cathedral.
These pictures are incredibly beautiful!!
have a great week, Indrani!
I once visited the Cathedral and loved it. Your lovely photos took me back then. Thank you for the reminder.
That's incredible, they designed it and built it totally manually. No autocad at all.
An incredible space, to be sure. What vision is captured in this structure!
Excellent..!
YES, thank goodness you were allowed to take photos of this breathtaking cathedral!
Great pictures! The cathedral looks majestic. I am not much into historic places, but this place kinda draws me to it.
What an awesome cathedral and fascinating history! Your captures are superb as always, Indrani! I do so enjoy the tours you take us on and such a great way to enjoy another part of Our World! Have lovely evening!
Sylvia
It is a monument that it survived, brilliant photos.