alfredlexx60 (Soldat Chvéïk de retour)
Wien, 1. Bezirk (Franziskanerplatz), la chiesa dell'Ordine francescano, la iglesia de la Orden Franciscana, l'église de l'Ordre des frères mineurs, church of the Order of Friars Minor (Franziskanerkirche)
(Further pictures you can see quite easily by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Vienna 1, The Franciscan Church
The Franciscans go back to St. Francis of Assisi and thus the 13th Century. They were founded as a mendicant orders but soon arose the question how literally one should take the declaration of poverty. Was it allowed to make financial provision for elderly or sick brothers? Finally it came to the segmentation of the faith community, the more liberal Minoriten (Friars Minor Conventual) made their own order, while the Franciscans followed the old conventions. 1453 came the first Franciscan, John of Capistrano, to Vienna.
He founded the first Franciscan monastery in what is now 6th District. But the monks had to flee when the Turks besieged Vienna in 1529 and the monastery burned down. It took until 1589 until the city of Vienna gave them the at that time vacant monastery together with appendant church. The house, in its place now stands the monastery had already been donated in 1306 by wealthy citizens - namely for "loose women" who wanted give up their trade and convert themselves.
1476 was at the Weichenburg (hence Weihburggasse) inaugurated a church with seven altars, where formerly a "Pfarrheusl (small parsonage)" had stood for the soul welfare of the female residents. At the time of the Reformation, however, moral values in this house went downhill. 1553, the Foundation was dissolved, but it took yet until 1572 before the last resident had died. For eight years, the building was then an educational establishment for girls of poor people.
When the Franciscans now had got the property, they started in 1603 with a reconstruction of the church, which was consecrated in 1611. 1614, the foundation stone was laid for the new monastery.
The statues on the west facade are left Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua right. In the middle, on the pediment of the west portal of the Church stands Jerome, protector of the church. He is surrounded by two angle putti.
But let's go inside the church. Maria with the ax is the altarpiece above the high altar. The statue was carved in 1505 from lime wood and has its own story. She comes from the Green Mountain (Grünberg) in Bohemia, which was under the control the Sternberg family. Since the family in the meantime had become Protestant, it wanted to burn the statue. She were thrown into the fire - but the next day she stood unharmed again in the chapel. Now, the executioner was called who should dismember the effigy. However, even that was impossible, because the ax stuck in the shoulder of Mary and it was not possible to get it out. There it is still today. (You have to look closely, but then you see the great ax with slightly curved stem.) But that's not enough. A few years later the Madonna was lost in the gamble by a gegenreformierten (counter-reformed) Sternberg. The new owner, the Polish Baron Turnoffsky gave she in 1607 the Franciscan monastery. Exactly 100 years later, she got her current stand on the high altar.
The stone structure between altar and the statue of the Madonna also contains a crucifix, which dates from the beginning of the 17th Century. The wooden statues left and right represent the Saints Jerome respectively Francis and are typical examples of the so-called Franciscan carving school. It operated 1690-1730 and was run by lay brothers. The overall concept for the high altar dates back to the Jesuit Andrea dal Pozzo.
A special attraction is the organ by Hans Wöckherl that was already built in 1642 and today is the oldest organ in Vienna. It is, however, disappeared from the visible church, because it is behind the high altar and is only shown every Friday between 15.00 und 15.30 clock. In addition, one demans for that six euro entry...
The single-nave church has to both sides side chapels, of them I want to show two.
On the left we see the Magdalene Chapel, which was consecrated already in 1614 for the first time. 1644 and 1722, however, followed Neustiftungen (new foundings). The stucco decoration stems from 1644. The paintings in the vault are much more recent, from 1893. The altarpiece depicts the grieving Mary Magdalene under the Cross. It was created in 1725 by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone. The image above shows Veronica's handkerchief with the face of Christ. It was painted by Wolfram Koeberl and in 1974 installed. The statues beside the altar represent the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The two above chapels are provided with food grid, so that one could give Communion here.
An Immaculata chapel (pictured above right) is there since the existence of the church, but this was rebuilt in 1722. Previously, since 1642, there was a Michael altar here. From this period dates still the stucco decor on the ceiling. The altarpiece is by Johann Georg Schmidt, who painted it in 1721. The lateral statues depict the Saint Joachim and the mother of Mary.
Also the Capistrano Chapel, which was founded in 1723, is worth mentioning. The lateral stucco decor shows on the left side (picture) the glorification of St. John Capistrano, who, as I said, was the first Franciscan in Vienna. Right you can see him as a standard-bearer of Christian doctrine in the wars against the Turks. Both stucco images date from the time of the foundation. The altarpiece by Franz Xaver Wagenschön originated in 1761 and shows Capistrano in a scene from 1451, in Brescia when he healed a possessed man.
In the picture we see also the statue of Saint George, as he is killing the (admittedly small) dragon.
On the other side of the chapel is the Holy Florian, while Clara and Theresa stand next to the altar. Behind the altar there is a reliquary in glass from about 1720, in which we see a wax image of the Holy Hilaria. The relic shall be imbedded in the wax. Hilaria is rather unknown, but she was a martyr who was converted by Bishop Narcissus. She died in the year 304 in Augsburg, at the behest of the governor Gaius, because she did not want to renounce the Christian faith. About the nature of death, there are different opinions.
In the church there is a plaque that claims that she was burned at the grave of her daughter, while the Holy Encyclopedia states that she was enclosed in her house and this was then set on fire.
In the chapel opposite, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, there is also a glass coffin with a relic. This is the skeleton of the Felix Puer wearing the uniform of a Roman Centurion.
As a counterpart to the pulpit, this just opposite, you will find the monument of Johann Nepomuk. We see how he flows on the water of the Vltava river after he was thrown in Prague there. He actually was called "John from Nepomuk" in Czech "ne Pomuk". The wife of Emperor Wenceslas IV is said to have chosen him as confessor. The Emperor wanted to know then what she had confessed, but Johann Nepomuk did not betray the seal of confession and was therefore thrown into the water. The Empress had then an appearance of five stars.
(We see she also in the water of the monument.) These stars indicated were one could find the body. So much for the legend.
The fact is that Johann Nepomuk was tortured by the king and thrown into the Vltava. The activating moment was a dispute over a new monastery between the emperor and the archbishop of Prague, in which John Nepomuk was trampled underfoot ...
The pulpit was built in 1726 and was executed by the Franciscan carving school. At the parapet there are wooden reliefs of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The relief of the fourth evangelist, John, is attached to the pulpit door. At the parapet you further can see statues of Capistrano and Bonaventura, while on the sounding board are sitting Anthony of Padua and Berhardin of Siena. At the top stands the freeze image of Francis of Assisi.
The pews were 1727 - 1729 by brother Johann Gottfried Hartmann built and carved.
Wien, 1. Bezirk (Franziskanerplatz), la chiesa dell'Ordine francescano, la iglesia de la Orden Franciscana, l'église de l'Ordre des frères mineurs, church of the Order of Friars Minor (Franziskanerkirche)
(Further pictures you can see quite easily by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Vienna 1, The Franciscan Church
The Franciscans go back to St. Francis of Assisi and thus the 13th Century. They were founded as a mendicant orders but soon arose the question how literally one should take the declaration of poverty. Was it allowed to make financial provision for elderly or sick brothers? Finally it came to the segmentation of the faith community, the more liberal Minoriten (Friars Minor Conventual) made their own order, while the Franciscans followed the old conventions. 1453 came the first Franciscan, John of Capistrano, to Vienna.
He founded the first Franciscan monastery in what is now 6th District. But the monks had to flee when the Turks besieged Vienna in 1529 and the monastery burned down. It took until 1589 until the city of Vienna gave them the at that time vacant monastery together with appendant church. The house, in its place now stands the monastery had already been donated in 1306 by wealthy citizens - namely for "loose women" who wanted give up their trade and convert themselves.
1476 was at the Weichenburg (hence Weihburggasse) inaugurated a church with seven altars, where formerly a "Pfarrheusl (small parsonage)" had stood for the soul welfare of the female residents. At the time of the Reformation, however, moral values in this house went downhill. 1553, the Foundation was dissolved, but it took yet until 1572 before the last resident had died. For eight years, the building was then an educational establishment for girls of poor people.
When the Franciscans now had got the property, they started in 1603 with a reconstruction of the church, which was consecrated in 1611. 1614, the foundation stone was laid for the new monastery.
The statues on the west facade are left Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua right. In the middle, on the pediment of the west portal of the Church stands Jerome, protector of the church. He is surrounded by two angle putti.
But let's go inside the church. Maria with the ax is the altarpiece above the high altar. The statue was carved in 1505 from lime wood and has its own story. She comes from the Green Mountain (Grünberg) in Bohemia, which was under the control the Sternberg family. Since the family in the meantime had become Protestant, it wanted to burn the statue. She were thrown into the fire - but the next day she stood unharmed again in the chapel. Now, the executioner was called who should dismember the effigy. However, even that was impossible, because the ax stuck in the shoulder of Mary and it was not possible to get it out. There it is still today. (You have to look closely, but then you see the great ax with slightly curved stem.) But that's not enough. A few years later the Madonna was lost in the gamble by a gegenreformierten (counter-reformed) Sternberg. The new owner, the Polish Baron Turnoffsky gave she in 1607 the Franciscan monastery. Exactly 100 years later, she got her current stand on the high altar.
The stone structure between altar and the statue of the Madonna also contains a crucifix, which dates from the beginning of the 17th Century. The wooden statues left and right represent the Saints Jerome respectively Francis and are typical examples of the so-called Franciscan carving school. It operated 1690-1730 and was run by lay brothers. The overall concept for the high altar dates back to the Jesuit Andrea dal Pozzo.
A special attraction is the organ by Hans Wöckherl that was already built in 1642 and today is the oldest organ in Vienna. It is, however, disappeared from the visible church, because it is behind the high altar and is only shown every Friday between 15.00 und 15.30 clock. In addition, one demans for that six euro entry...
The single-nave church has to both sides side chapels, of them I want to show two.
On the left we see the Magdalene Chapel, which was consecrated already in 1614 for the first time. 1644 and 1722, however, followed Neustiftungen (new foundings). The stucco decoration stems from 1644. The paintings in the vault are much more recent, from 1893. The altarpiece depicts the grieving Mary Magdalene under the Cross. It was created in 1725 by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone. The image above shows Veronica's handkerchief with the face of Christ. It was painted by Wolfram Koeberl and in 1974 installed. The statues beside the altar represent the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The two above chapels are provided with food grid, so that one could give Communion here.
An Immaculata chapel (pictured above right) is there since the existence of the church, but this was rebuilt in 1722. Previously, since 1642, there was a Michael altar here. From this period dates still the stucco decor on the ceiling. The altarpiece is by Johann Georg Schmidt, who painted it in 1721. The lateral statues depict the Saint Joachim and the mother of Mary.
Also the Capistrano Chapel, which was founded in 1723, is worth mentioning. The lateral stucco decor shows on the left side (picture) the glorification of St. John Capistrano, who, as I said, was the first Franciscan in Vienna. Right you can see him as a standard-bearer of Christian doctrine in the wars against the Turks. Both stucco images date from the time of the foundation. The altarpiece by Franz Xaver Wagenschön originated in 1761 and shows Capistrano in a scene from 1451, in Brescia when he healed a possessed man.
In the picture we see also the statue of Saint George, as he is killing the (admittedly small) dragon.
On the other side of the chapel is the Holy Florian, while Clara and Theresa stand next to the altar. Behind the altar there is a reliquary in glass from about 1720, in which we see a wax image of the Holy Hilaria. The relic shall be imbedded in the wax. Hilaria is rather unknown, but she was a martyr who was converted by Bishop Narcissus. She died in the year 304 in Augsburg, at the behest of the governor Gaius, because she did not want to renounce the Christian faith. About the nature of death, there are different opinions.
In the church there is a plaque that claims that she was burned at the grave of her daughter, while the Holy Encyclopedia states that she was enclosed in her house and this was then set on fire.
In the chapel opposite, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, there is also a glass coffin with a relic. This is the skeleton of the Felix Puer wearing the uniform of a Roman Centurion.
As a counterpart to the pulpit, this just opposite, you will find the monument of Johann Nepomuk. We see how he flows on the water of the Vltava river after he was thrown in Prague there. He actually was called "John from Nepomuk" in Czech "ne Pomuk". The wife of Emperor Wenceslas IV is said to have chosen him as confessor. The Emperor wanted to know then what she had confessed, but Johann Nepomuk did not betray the seal of confession and was therefore thrown into the water. The Empress had then an appearance of five stars.
(We see she also in the water of the monument.) These stars indicated were one could find the body. So much for the legend.
The fact is that Johann Nepomuk was tortured by the king and thrown into the Vltava. The activating moment was a dispute over a new monastery between the emperor and the archbishop of Prague, in which John Nepomuk was trampled underfoot ...
The pulpit was built in 1726 and was executed by the Franciscan carving school. At the parapet there are wooden reliefs of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The relief of the fourth evangelist, John, is attached to the pulpit door. At the parapet you further can see statues of Capistrano and Bonaventura, while on the sounding board are sitting Anthony of Padua and Berhardin of Siena. At the top stands the freeze image of Francis of Assisi.
The pews were 1727 - 1729 by brother Johann Gottfried Hartmann built and carved.