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 (German: Michaelerkirche) is one of the oldest churches in Vienna, Austria. It is also one of the few remaining buildings in the city built in the Romanesque style. The church is named after the Archangel Michael.

You can find St. Michael's Church at Michaelerplatz, right across from St. Michael's Gate at the Hofburg Palace. This church used to be the main church for the Imperial Court, which was the home of the emperor. It was once known as Zum heiligen Michael.

This church has a very long history, over 800 years! Because of this, it shows 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 founding, this paper might have been created later. Over the centuries, many changes were made. The church has looked the same since 1792.

Inside the Church: What to See
Exploring the Crypt
Discoveries from Excavations
Images for kids
See also

Inside the Church: What to See

The inside of Saint Michael's Church has a main area called a nave and two side aisles. These parts still show their original Gothic design. Side chapels were added to the church later on.

Even though the church is not super tall, it feels very grand and solid inside. The rounded back part of the church, called the apse, was changed in the 1300s (between 1327 and 1340). It became an early Gothic choir with three sections. The middle and northern choir chapels were later updated in the Baroque style.

Main Altar and Art

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

At the very center of the main altar is a special Byzantine icon called Maria Candia. This painting of the Virgin Mary comes from the Cretan School of art. It is named after the old capital of Crete, which is now Heraklion. The icon is shown being carried by two archangels.

In the northern chapel, you can see an altarpiece called Adoration of the Child. This painting was created by Franz Anton Maulbertsch between 1754 and 1755.

Nikolauskapelle: A Medieval Chapel

The southern chapel, known as the Nikolauskapelle, has stayed almost exactly the same since medieval times. Its beautiful windows, with their stone patterns, are from the 1200s. Inside, you'll find Gothic stone sculptures of St. Catherine and St. Nicolaus from around 1350. There is also a wooden crucifix made by Hans Schlais between 1510 and 1520. 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.

The arch between the transept (the arms of the cross-shaped church) and the choir is from the 1300s. The space above the arch is decorated with a scene called The Last Judgment.

Old Paintings and Sculptures

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

The Grand Organ

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, played this organ in 1749. Also, Mozart's famous Requiem was performed for the first time in this church. This happened at a memorial service for Mozart on December 10, 1791. Since Mozart had not finished the piece 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 special service.

Church Exterior and Tower

The front of the church, called the façade, was built in 1792. It is in a Neoclassical style, which was popular during the time of Emperor Joseph II. Above the main entrance, on top of the triangular part called a pediment, you can see a group of sculptures. These sculptures, made by Lorenzo Mattielli in 1725, show winged angels and St. Michael defeating Lucifer. Mattielli also created the Hercules statues at the Hofburg entrance, which is just across from the church. The tall, many-sided Gothic bell tower, built in the 1500s, has become a well-known symbol of Vienna's Inner City.

Exploring the Crypt

Saint Michael's Church is famous for its Michaelergruft, which is a large underground burial place called a crypt. In the past, noble families could reach their family crypts through special marble slabs on the church floor. These slabs had their family symbols, or coats of arms, on them. When someone from the family passed away, their coffin could be lowered directly into the crypt through these marble openings.

The crypt has special conditions, like a constant temperature, that helped preserve over 4,000 bodies. You can see hundreds of mummified bodies there. Some are still in their old burial clothes or even wearing wigs! Many are displayed in open coffins, sometimes decorated with flowers or skulls. Others have Baroque paintings or symbols that remind us about life and death. One of the most famous people buried here is Pietro Metastasio (1698–1782), who 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 many interesting things, including signs of a Roman settlement called Canabæ. This settlement was connected to the Roman army camp at Vindobona. It was likely where soldiers' wives and children lived. The area where these discoveries were made was opened to the public in 1991. The way it is presented was designed by architect Hans Hollein.