| Michaelerkirche (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Michaelerkirche
Michaelerkirche
Michaelerkirche in Michaelerplatz is a Gothic church built between 1220 and 1240. The architectural origins are obscured a little by the many alterations that have occurred throughout the years, including the Neoclassical façade added in 1792. Michaelerkirche is also very close to the Michaeler wing of the Hofburg and functioned as the parish church of the Imperial Court, when it was called 'Zum heiligen Michael'.Inside the nave retains a simple Gothic structure, and the side chapels were added at a later date. The stucco reliefs in the central choir chapel were done by Karl Georg Merville around 1782. At the same time the High Altar was made by Jean-Baptiste d'Avrange
Fall of the Angels
The Fall of the Angels was made by Lorenzo Matteilli in 1782. It is a massive alabaster Rocco decoration to the alcove in which the high altar stands. As the name implies, it shows cherubs and angels cascading from the ceiling above the altar, and was the last major Baroque work made in Vienna.
Also notable within the church is the largestBaroque Organ in Vienna, on which the world premier of Mozart's Requiem was played at a memorial service to the composer in 1791. Visitors should also make time to visit the Crypt or Michaelergruft in which nobles were interred at great expense. The climatic conditions here were so stable that the corpses mummified rather than rotting, and some are now on display in open coffins still in their funerary clothes. The most famous resident is Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782), who wrote the "Libretto Il sogno di Scipione" , used by of Mozart in his opera "The Magic Flute"
Address
Michaelerkirche
1, Michaelerplatz 1
1010 Vienna
Transport
U-Bhan: Herrengasse (U3), Stephansplatz (U1, U3)
Bus / Tram: 1A, 2A, 3A