During my trip to Vienna in 2003 and continuing from my previous review of the Hofburg Palace, I also was fortunate enough to visit the Stephansdom. Before I go into the review fully let me set the scene. Vienna is a crowded city and around every corner is a delight. The approach to Stephansdom is via the usual amorphous streets to be found in a large city and happening upon this magnificent cathedral is one of these delights. Since this cathedral is one of the main tourist attractions there is the usual cosmopolitan bustle and within this are to be found hawkers in period dress selling tickets to the many concerts that are held throughout Vienna.
The Cathedral is often referred to as the soul of Vienna. It certainly has a great impact on the city and its visitors. It is here where Mozart married and where his funeral took place. The magnificent Steffi tower dominates the skyline and acts as a landmark for visitors. The building is noteworthy for both its history and its architecture.
The History It is known that a church has stood on the site where the Stephansdom now stands for over 800 years. The first church was built in 1147 BC apparently on the site of a heathen shrine. The main aisle and southern tower were added in the 14th century during the reign of Duke Rudolf lV. Te Steffi Tower was completed in 1493. The Cathedral suffered damage in 1945 during WWll and was restored to almost to its present magnificence in 1950, however the restoration continues even today.
External View The Steffi tower and the tiled roof of the cathedral immediately drew my eyes but following my guide book if found my way round to the main entrance which is is on the western aspect through the Giants Doorway and flanked by the twin Heathen Towers. These are the only remnants of the Romanesque architecture of the original church built in 1147 BC. The southern aspect is dominated by the Steffi spire is 137 metres (450 feet) high. It is typically Gothic, highly decorated and was built between 1359 and 1433. The north tower was never been completed. According to legend, construction was stopped when its master builder, Hans Puchsbaum, broke a pact with the devil and was thrown from the tower to his death. The official reason which is as with all official reasons a little less dramatic unless you happen to be an accountant was that funds ran out before it was finished. On the North Eastern wall is an external pulpit built after the victory over the Turks at Belgrade in 1456. Above it is a statue of the triumphant saint trampling on the defeated invader added in the Baroques period (1600 –1700).
Aerial view Well a little licence here it is not quite an aerial but a view from the highest point of the cathedral. After much deliberation, we decided that the view must be worth the effort and set about climbing the 450ft high tower. You get very friendly with people in time of great physical difficulty and on the narrow spiral staircase we along with many others were to be found panting and recovering for the next push in our climb, inevitably blocking the way for the tolerant, fitter ascenders and the victorious descenders. The viewing point on the Steffi can be reached free of charge. Well you would have to be mad to pay for the exhaustion. The effort is not for the weak hearted but well worth it as you can see for miles. A further viewing point we found was on the North Tower this time, thankfully accessible via a lift. This turned out to be very small and attendant operated. He packed as many as possible into the tiny space (not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia). The views of the city were needless to say spectacular. It is from this viewing tower that the Tiled Roof can be seen at its best. More than 500,000 tiles were used in the construction of this roof. The tiles are used to represent the major reconstruction work on the cathedral following the ravages of WWll. On one side the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire and the date 1831 are given. On the other, the coat of arms of Vienna and the date 1950. Here the famous Pummerin Bell can be seen. The original bell was made from melted down cannons abandoned when the Turks fled Vienna in 1688. During the fire which ravished the cathedral during WWll, the bell crashed through the roof. A new bell was then cast using the remains of the original.
Internal View As we entered the Cathedral the grandeur of it structure was impress upon me. The cavernous interior with its lofty ceiling was magnificently decorated giving a sublime opulence to the general appearance. As I looked around my attention was drawn to the area above the door through which I had just entered, I found the impressive organ gallery and case sadly at the time the organ was not being played and I can only dream of the sounds that would have echoed around the cathedral had there been a performer. As we progressed up the central aisle to the far end of the cathedral altars and chapels lined the outer aisles. Towards the far end we reached the Pilgrims Pulpit, an amazingly detailed and intricate Gothic edifice, decorated with the carvings of four theologians with differing temperaments. At the end of the central aisle is he high altar this is a flamboyant baroque masterpiece designed by Thomas Pock depicting appropriately the martyrdom of St Stephan. To the left of the high altar is the Wiener Neustadter an Altar commissioned by Frederick 111 in 1447 this alter along with the whole of Vienna has hidden secrets and the painted panels can be opened to reveal earlier carvings depicting the life of Christ. To the right, is the tomb of the Emperor Fredrich lll. It is made from ornate red marble bearing a life siz portrait of the emperor.
The Catacombs In the centre of the northern aisle we found the entrance to the catacombs the only way to see these is to pay for a guided tour with limited numbers for each tour these are filled on a first come first served basis we only had 10 mins to wait an busied ourselves looking more closely at our immediate surroundings. As ever in this marvellous city the closer you look the more you revel and this occasion was no exception we found a statue know as Jesus with toothache, legend has it than anyone who mocks it is punished with toothache. After establishing which languages were require by the guide, the tour began and we descended the stone staircase to the cool dry depth of the labyrinth. Below ground is an assortment of sarcophagi holding the bones of dead rulers, archbishops, and other personages. Somewhat stranger are the bronze containers where kidneys, livers, etc. of Habsburg emperors are stored. Also underground are the bones of more than 15,000 Viennese stacked like kindling.
Opening Times The Cathedral is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Conclusion Since the existence of this edifice can be traced back almost 1000 years it warrants a must see on any trip to Vienna. It is worth the effort to go up at least one of the towers for the views. The climb up the Steffi tower is in the heat of a summer’s day challenging to say the least and only to be attempted by people in good health. If not the North Tower gives almost as good a view over the city. The catacombs provide an unusual tour; the guides present their information in a humorous and entertaining manner. For those of you so inclined, if you leave by the main entrance, go diagonally to the left an then along the street towards the statue remembering the plague half way along on the you will find a patisserie that makes cakes fit for the gods.
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