Roof Tiles of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
230,000 colourful glazed tiles transform the roof of the Stephandom into a true work of art. St Stephen’s Cathedral is the most impressive and gigantic scared destination in Vienna. I found it difficult to capture the whole structure in a single frame was difficult.
From a distance the cathedral looked grey, but there was something unreal about it. As I approached closer I found the cathedral wrapped up to a considerable height. It was under repairs.
Portions of facade were covered with screens which were painted with designs hidden by the screens.
South Tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral
At 136.4 m tall, the South Tower known as Steffl of St.Stephen’s Cathedral of Vienna, is the cathedral’s highest tower. The high tower’s Türmerstube, its steeple room, at a height of 67 metres is also the highest vantage point that can be climbed at the cathedral.
Craning our necks we kept staring, the awe of seeing these majestic spires didn’t seem to diminish even after seeing so many cathedrals during our 10 days of tour.
The entrance to the South Tower can be accessed from Stephansplatz. It is slightly hidden behind the tower opposite the ‘Curhaus’ (Haus Stephansplatz 3).
St Stephen Cathedral complete picture Vienna
Roof Tiles of St Stephen’s Cathedral
The roof of St Stephens Cathedral is famous for colored tiles fixed in various designs were not covered (thankfully!). Statistics is:
- 230,000 tiles
- weight of each tile is 2.5 kg
- 2 copper nails and mortar fix them in their place
- 10 colors of tiles
- coat of arms patterned with tiles
- double-headed eagle
Apparently the roof is at a certain angle so that rain is enough to clean the tiles and keep them colorful. The slope is made steep, at an angle of 80 degrees, such that it is hardly covered by snow.
Roof of Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna with colorful tiles and small windows
South edge of the roof has this double headed eagle. It is the symbol of the Austrian empire under the rule of the Habsburgs. The two headed eagle is the emblem for Holy Roman Empire and Austrian-Hungarian Empire to show the connection between the emperor and the country being ruled.
Go around to see 2 other eagles, both with single head carrying the coats of arms of the City of Vienna and of the Republic of Austria.
St Stephen’s Cathedral Tiles Vienna – double headed Eagle symbol
It is a beautiful sight during the day; the colors kind of make it so bright and stunning under the blue sky. The tiles in zig zag patterns are purely for decorative purpose. There is no symbolism attached to them.
Facade of St Stephen’s Cathedral
The exterior has a dull grey color and is a mix of influence of Romanesque and Gothic architecture as the construction spanned for several centuries. Countless solemn faces and gargoyles peer out from the stone walls.
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(This post was first published on Sep 22, 2011.)
Nice Article.
So many tiles! do you have a close up?
Such a beautiful building.
Beautiful! Really novel way to ensure that the roof tiles are cleaned through a natural process.
Amazing! Great photos and so many details of that Cathedral.
This cathedral really has extraordiary beauty!
Thanks for sharing these great and lovely photos!
Amazing architecture.
the architecture is very impressive.
Beautiful cathedral.
Regards and best wishes
Gorgeous capture .
Baautiful sky over the beautiful cathedral
Very nice pictures.Greetings Andrzej.
Wonderful photos.
Thanks for stopping by Driller's Place.
nice photo
All cathedrals look more or less the same ! Of course they are archtectural masterpieces, but when I think that people were starving while the christians spend so much money in building "God houses" I think that wasn't written in the bible !
Truly amazing, great pics.
Really delicious these photos that we offer the cathedral in all its vastness and beauty ..
Wow, gorgeous!! something about these cathedrals that draw me to them!!
Envy you for travelling so much 🙂
Wow, an amazing bulding and beautiful skies to match!
What a gorgeous spire and the sky is beautiful too. Wonderful photos, Indrani!
This is humongous. And the design it is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Peach Sky
It's a beautiful cathedral, and your photos are lovely!
Have a nice weekend:)
That gorgeous spire is reaching towards a lovely sky!
No wonder part of it seemed unreal from a distance —it really was!
It's a gorgeous cathedral, with an amazing roof. I love the pattern.
— K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
What unique captures!
The work they have taken to create a splendid cathedral. Very nice photography.
So beautiful. Happy sky watching.
Liz @ A Simple Life
Such an incredible cathedral and a superb capture, Indrani, with the perfect skies for a backdrop! Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Sylvia
Beautiful cathedral and the sky is fantastic.
gorgeous architecture and exquisite skies!
Beautiful!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.