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Text: Billie Ann Lopez
Photos: Peter Hirsch
Vienna's
Karlskirche is undergoing restoration inside its Baroque dome. But
this restoration, instead of covering up the church's treasures for
its duration, allows visitors to see what they could only see from a
great distance before the scaffolding was installed. How? Because a public-access
elevator was included in the restoration plans. Visitors can now
take an elevator up 47 meters to a large platform and see the dome's
Rottmayr frescos close up. |
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Please
click on photos for full size version and description
Karlskirche is a
votiv or thanksgiving church. It was built by the Holy Roman Emperor
and Habsburg Charles VI (1685-1740) following the 1713 plague during
which over 10,000 people died in Vienna. This plague was the second
to devastate Vienna in 20 years. Charles VI chose to name the church
Karl's Church in honor of the former Archbishop of Milan, the
Counter-Reformation saint, and patron saint of plagues, St. Charles
Borromeo (1538-84) who was also Charles VI's namesake. (Charles VI,
by the way, was the father of another great Habsburg, Empress Maria Theresia.)
Karlskirche's
facade is an eclectic jewel. The great Baroque architect Johann
Bernhard Fischer von Erlach's (1656-1723) remarkable design blends
Roman, Greek, and oriental classical architectural styles into a
shimmering unified whole now reflected beautifully in the shallow
pool in front. The addition of gardens and even the Henry Moore
sculpture "Hill Arches" (1978) seem part of the original
plan though they weren't of course.
The church's oval
rotunda is dominated by a massive copper dome. The two almost
minaret-styled columns were inspired by the Trajan column in Rome and
bear relief spirals narrating the life of St. Charles Borromeo.
Topping the columns are golden eagles symbolizing the power of the
empire, both secular and ecclesiastical. The two angels on either
side of the steps leading up to the portico represent the Old and New
Testaments. The relief carved in the pediment of the portico shows an
angel unsheathing his sword symbolizing Vienna's deliverance from the
plague. Below the angel, the suffering of the Viennese during the
1713 plague is depicted. The two oriental-styled gateways
successfully unite the disparate elements of Fischer von Erlach's
design. Originally, a street was to lead directly to the Hofburg
connecting the universal religious and imperial spirits of the age.
But city planners over the centuries never quite managed to preserve
that part of Fischer von Erlach's plan.
But back to the
elevator and scaffolding awaiting visitors inside the church. Entry
to the church now is four Euros. For an additional two Euros, the
elevator lifts visitors up to a platform to see the dome frescos
painted by Johann Michael Rottmayr between 1725 and 1730. Reflecting
the Emperor's desire to honor his patron saint St. Charles Borromeo,
Rottmayr depicts the saint in red cardinal robes presenting his
petition for relief from the plague to the Holy Trinity above. His
intercession is supported by the Virgin Mary. Wonderful allegories of
the three saintly virtues, faith, hope, and charity complete the
dome's message.
For those with
sufficient energy, flights of stairs zigzag upwards to the little
lantern on top of the dome. Only faint depictions of a circle of
putti around the white dove of the Holy Ghost can be discerned there
now. But while catching your breath, you can enjoy a splendid view of
St. Stephan's Cathedral rising above the city and Vienna's many other
spires as well as the forested hills of the Vienna Woods.
Before leaving,
take advantage of Karlskirche's special lighting and the informative
audio guide (German, English and Italian) to view and learn more
about Karlskirche's many altars. The stucco relief on the high
altar depicts St. Charles Borromeo accompanied by angels ascending on
a cloud to the magnificent Trinity above. All of the religious themes
reflected in the paintings and sculptures in the side altars also
contribute to the basic principles of faith embodied in the Emperor's
motto, constantia et fortitudine (steadfastness and fortitude).
Karlskirche's
interior restoration offers a unique opportunity for Vienna's
residents and visitors alike. Don't miss it. |
