Church of Saint Michael, Vienna Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Michael's Church

Religion
Affiliation	Catholic Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Leadership	P. Peter van Meijl, SDS
Year consecrated	1217
Location
Location	Vienna, Austria
State	Vienna
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque
Completed	1792
Specifications
Direction of façade	WNW
Length	65 m (213.3 ft)
Width	35 m (114.8 ft)
Width (nave)	15 m (49.2 ft)

Saint Michael's Church (called Michaelerkirche in German) is one of the oldest churches in Vienna, Austria. It's also one of the few buildings left in Vienna that shows the old Romanesque style. The church is named after the Archangel Michael. You can find it at Michaelerplatz, right across from the St. Michael's Gate at the Hofburg Palace. St. Michael's used to be the main church for the Imperial Court.

This church has been around for more than 800 years! Over such a long time, it has been changed many times. This means it has a mix of different building styles. The church started as a late Romanesque and early Gothic building around 1220–1240. While a document from 1221 mentions its start, it might not be fully accurate. The church looks today almost exactly as it did in 1792 after its last big changes.

Inside the Church
Outside the Church
The Crypt
Discoveries from Excavations
Gallery
See also

Inside the Church

The inside of Saint Michael's Church has a main area called a nave and two side areas called aisles. These parts still look like they did in Gothic times. Some side chapels were added later.

Main Altar and Art

The main altar was designed in 1782 by Jean-Baptiste d’Avrange. It features a huge sculpture called Fall of the Angels. This amazing artwork, made by Karl Georg Merville, shows angels and cherubs falling from the ceiling. It was one of the last big Baroque artworks made in Vienna.

The most special part of the main altar is Maria Candia. This is an old Byzantine icon (a religious painting) of the Virgin Mary. It comes from the Cretan School of art and is carried by two archangels in the display.

Chapels and Frescoes

In the northern chapel, you can see an altarpiece called Adoration of the Child. It was painted by Franz Anton Maulbertsch around 1754–1755.

The southern chapel, called the Nikolauskapelle, still looks much like it did in the Middle Ages. Its beautiful windows are from the 13th century. You can also see Gothic stone statues of St. Catherine and St. Nicolaus. There's also a wooden crucifix by Hans Schlais from the early 1500s. This chapel was built around 1350 by a duke's cook. He built it to thank God after he was found innocent in a poisoning case.

Recently, some old frescoes (wall paintings) from the early 1400s were found. They show how good painting was in Vienna back then. In the Baptistery (where baptisms happen), there's a wooden statue called Man of Sorrows from 1430.

The Organ and Music History

The large, golden pipe organ was built in 1714 by Johann David Sieber. It is the biggest Baroque organ in Vienna. A young Joseph Haydn, who was 17 at the time, once played this organ in 1749.

The famous composer Mozart's Requiem was first performed in this church. This happened at a memorial service for Mozart on December 10, 1791. Since Mozart hadn't finished the Requiem before he died, only the parts he had completed were played. Emanuel Schikaneder, who wrote the story for Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, was at this service.

Outside the Church

The front of the church, called the façade, was built in 1792. It has a Neoclassical style, which was popular during the time of Emperor Joseph II. Above the main entrance, you'll see a group of sculptures. These show winged angels and St. Michael defeating Lucifer. These figures were made by an Italian artist named Lorenzo Mattielli in 1725. He also made the Hercules statues at the Hofburg entrance nearby.

The tall, Gothic bell tower, built in the 1500s, is a well-known symbol of Vienna's Inner City.

The Crypt

Saint Michael's Church is famous for its Michaelergruft, which is a very large crypt (an underground burial place) beneath the church. In the past, noble families could access their family crypts through special marble slabs in the church floor. These slabs had their family symbols on them. When someone died, their coffin could be lowered directly into the crypt through these openings.

The crypt has special conditions, like a constant temperature. Because of this, over 4,000 bodies have been kept very well preserved. You can see hundreds of mummified bodies there. Some are still wearing their old burial clothes or wigs! Some are in open coffins, decorated with flowers or skulls. Others have Baroque paintings or symbols that remind us about life and death. The most famous person buried there is Pietro Metastasio (1698–1782). He was a very famous writer of opera stories during the Baroque period.

Discoveries from Excavations

Between 1989 and 1991, archaeologists dug up the Michaelerplatz area. They found remains of an old Roman settlement called Canabæ. This settlement was linked to the Roman army camp at Vindobona (which is now Vienna). It was likely where soldiers' families lived. The place where they dug was opened to the public in 1991. The design for showing these discoveries was made by architect Hans Hollein.