2024 Oct 1 Tuesday

Vienna

Apologies for another long post, but there was much to see on our first full day in Vienna. Since we are revisiting sights seen when my parents lived in Vienna and we were able to visit, it is definitely a nostalgia tour as well as some new sights.

10:14 am to 8:03 pm. 8.27 miles, 23,442 steps, elevation gain 310 feet. Cloudy but warm and no rain.

Richard’s Relive can be viewed for today. Click here: https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQLdYjKMv

St. Stephen’s is Vienna’s cathedral. Tourism abounds, and they would love to take us on a horse-drawn carriage ride.
Origins of the church date back to 1137, although some believe there is evidence from the. 8th century.
The high altar, with a picture of the stoning of St. Stephen. Unlike the cathedral at Budapest named for the first Hungarian king, this church is named for the first martyr who was stoned as a deacon of the early church at Jerusalem for angering members of various synagogues by his teachings.
The funerary monument of Emperor Frederick III who died in 1493 is an important work of late Gothic sculpture. It is made of marble and the figure of the emperor in coronation dress with crown, orb, and sceptre is its lid.
The Wiener Neustadter altar was donated by Emoeror Frederick III. It is a late Gothic four-wing polyptych inscribed with the year 1447.
The Zacherl House in Old Town Vienna would probably not be on many people’s lists to see. However, it is an early work of Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik. It is vertical polished granite slabs with 28 figures of Atlas holding up the cantilevered cornice. On the facade, the statue of Archangel Michael defeats a creature. The building marks a transition from Viennese Art Nouveau to decor-free modern Adolf Loos.
Plecnik also designed furnishings including stairways, lamps, and doorways. His style of angular windows and doors jutting outward and inward is recognizable from some designs in Ljubljana.
Our next stop was Mozart’s house, also in Old Town. Although he had about 13 addresses in his 11 years in Vienna, he lived here with his family for about 2 1/2 years. He wrote the opera “Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) here in 1786 with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. We have tickets to that opera Wednesday evening at the Vienna’s Staatsopera..
When the plague ended in 1679, Emperor Leopold I ordered that a column be erected in Vienna’s main square. It is impressively tall and dramatic, with angels and white clouds, and Emperor Leopold at the base imploring the Holy Trinity to save his people.
Peterskirche, St. Peter’s Church, is one of the great Baroque churches of Austria. According to a legend, Charlemagne founded a church here in 792. Holy Mass has been celebrated here for 1600 years.
The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Devotion to Our Lady is also important, as is evident in the cupola fresco.
The imperial coat of arms with the motto of Leopold I is over the triumphal arch.
Shrines of the bones of two martyrs are clothed in styles of the period when they were brought from Roman catacombs in 1733.
The Baroque organ at the back of the church.
Although the Dorotheum is now a high-end auction house, we walked through in homage to my mother. She found many antiques during her time in Vienna, and learned enough German to bid for herself instead of hiring a proxy bidder.
Next we were off to the Hofburg Palace. We took a Sisi tour, describing the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I, and touring their castle rooms. Sisi (1837-1898) was loved by the people, and the Elizabeth Bridge in Budapest was named for her. She was assassinated by an Italian anarchist while traveling to Geneva.
We sadly did not have an opportunity to visit the Hofburg Chapel where we had attended Christmas Mass in 1974, complete with music from the Vienna Boys’ Choir.
Augustine Church has an unimposing exterior but is known for coronations and weddings of the Habsburgs. It was originally built in the 14th century and Gothic elements were added in the 18th century. The wedding of Archduchess Maria Theresa to Duke francis of Lorraine, the wedding of Archduchess Marie Louise to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and the wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph to Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi) are but a few of the marriage ceremonies performed here.
The cenotaph to Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria was sculpted by Antonio Canova in 1805. She was Maria Theresa’s favorite daughter, and shows a procession of mourners of varying ages disappearing into the dark crypt of death while viewed by an angel and the lion of the Habsburgs.
Many of the side chapels were removed when it was renovated in the Gothic style. The Loreto Chapel, to the right of the main altar, holds the silver urn containing the hearts of Habsburg rulers, while their bodies are kept in the Imperial Crypt.
We had a quick walk by the Staatsoper where we have tickets for Wednesday evening.
Heading home, we wanted to check out yet one more church, but first came across this statue of Gutenberg.
The Jesuit Church was designed by Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit priest-artist from Italy brought in by Emperor Leopold I.
The deceptively real-looking frescoes are a signature of the artist.
We were surprised by the gigantic marble columns in each of the six side altars. They were differing styles of shapes and colors, with symmetrical columns on each side. Light was infused through almost-hidden portals to the cupola.
We crossed the canal each day to visit sights in the old town. Our apartment was situated near the Prater, between the canal and the Danube.
Our last visit as the light was fading was to get a picture of the ferris wheel at the Prater. We could see it from our apartment windows, but its famous structure deserved a better look. After Habsburg Joseph II opened his former royal hunting ground to the public in 1766, it became a famous area for the Viennese public and the ferris wheel (Riesenrad) was built. It was destroyed in WWII but was soon rebuilt.
Surprise! We had forgotten that it was Octoberfest time and now discovered a huge party at the Prater.
Most folks came dressed in classic costumes: dirndles and britches.
Food tents served traditional fare, sausages and pretzels, as well as the requisite beer.
Of course, this solved our dinner plans.
Costumes were worn by young and old alike.
This is an example of one of the large beer halls where traditional Octoberfest celebrations were happening: loud, crowded, long tables with food and beer.
The Ferris wheel is 64.75 meters tall, and was the world’s tallest from 1920 until 1985. It was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was built with 30 gondolas but after WWII damage, only 15 gondolas were replaced.
The gondola cabins are a popular venue for special occasions such as weddings or corporate events.
Goodbye to Vienna’s Octoberfest and home to rest for another full day tomorrow.

4 Responses

  1. Looked like a very busy day. At least no hillside areas you had to hike up to. I remember the churches and cathedrals that we visited in Vienna and especially remember St. Stephen’s. Looks even more majestic in your pictures than I remembered. So much to see and do. Luckily you both are in such good shape and avid walkers that you take in so much more in than the average visitor can. Enjoy your time there and memories from the past.
    Dan

    1. It was a busy day but enjoyable for the most part. I was a bit disappointed in St. Stephen’s as now they charge to go past the periphery, and it was dark and crowded, and rather loud. My favorite church was the Augustine Church and the triangular monument. The church was simpler but grand in its history. We had such fun at Octoberfest just soaking up the joy everyone felt in their shared culture and tradition. Not quite the Munich celebration, but still a fun time for all.

  2. Don’t apologize for all the long posting of pictures. It really gives us insight into the fullness of what you are seeing and experiencing. Get a good sense of what you appreciate (sights, people, and culture) and what’s special in your journey. Also, brings back memories of our own journeys, too.
    Dan

    1. I know not everyone will appreciate how many churches and how many pictures I post. We hope people will breeze through those that may not interest them, but we really love the blog for ourselves and to remember each and every day. It’s a bonus when people follow along and “chat” with us about the sights.