Building Rating 70% of readers like the Saint Stephan's Cathedral (Vienna).
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S tephansdom is the heart and soul of Vienna, the way Fountain Square is to Cincinnati, or the River Thames is to London. It is the most recognizable landmark in the city, and the square is the main gathering place. This is where Mozart was married, and where his funeral was held. There's a saying that if you're looking for someone in Vienna, get a coffee and find a table at one of the outdoor cafes in Stephansplatz. Eventually the person you're looking for will walk by. Stephansdom is itself dominated by its one large tower, the Alt Steffl built between 1359 and 1433. Every bit of 450-feet-tall (136.4 meters), this Gothic spire looks down hard on the tourists looking up to the heavens. It seems impossibly large, and if you're foolish enough you can climb up the solid stone spiral staircase to the top. This is not for the weak. It is a claustrophobic experience with no opportunity for rest. There are no refreshments at the top, but the view is spectacular. This is where you can really appreciate the roof. More than 500,000 tiles form geometric patterns at dizzying angles. The tiles spell out the dates of the cathedral's major reconstructions -- 1831 on one side, and 1950 on the other. The 1831 side bears the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire and the initials F.I. for Frances the First. The 1950 side has the coat of arms of the Second Republic, and the city of Vienna. The north tower has never been completed. Officially, the money ran out. But legend has it that construction was stopped when its architect broke a pact with the devil and was thrown from the tower to his death. Even creepier -- there is a portrait inside called "Christ With Toothache" that allegedly gives people who make fun of it toothaches. Smile when you go by. Because of the narrow streets and close proximity of other buildings it is hard to get a good picture of Stephansdom without a special lens. At night it is lit up in white, and seems to loom impossibly large in the night sky like some alpine mountain in the distance. Underneath are catacombs. Tours are available in a number of languages. There is also a pulpit outside built in 1456 celebrating the defeat of the Turks in Belgrade. More Turkish history -- the bell in the north tower was forged from Turk cannons abandoned in when they fled the city in 1683. Still can't get thoughts of Stephansdom out of your head? Listen to the cathedral's own radio station broadcasting classical music on 107.3 FM. Why 107.3? Because that's as close as they could get to 107.2, which is the length of the cathedral in meters.
The south tower is 136.4 meters tall.
The north tower is 60.6 meters tall.
The roof is covered with 230,000 tiles.
The tombstones that festoon the exterior wall of the cathedral are from Saint Stephan's Cemetery which was paved over to make Stephansplatz.
There is a legend that the cathedral's final architect disappeared just after it was consecrated in 1147. Some people take this as a sign that there was divine intervention in its construction.
While many cathedrals face east or west, this one is pointed somewhat southeast. It is believed to be pointing to the location where the sun rose on the morning of 26 December, 1137.
A pagan church once existed on the site. Some remnants of that church can still be seen in the Stephansdom. It was common for Christian churches to use pieces of the Pagan churches they replaced in their construction in order to break their spell and show the power of the Church. The easiest item to spot is a Roman tombstone on the inside of the Giant's Portal.
At one time the bone of a mammoth was on display over the door of the Giant's Portal.
The church bends slightly to the left.
Above the sanctuary there is an attic which is used for public gatherings like art exhibitions.
For more than 500 years the south tower was used as a lookout post by the fire brigade.
1230-1245 - Much of the building is razed when it attains a higher status in the church, and must be rebuilt.
1263 - Bishop Otto of Passau consecrates the cathedral.
1267 - Care of the cathedral is placed in the hands of the Cura Animarum, who still take care of it today.
1304-1340 - The Albertine Choir is constructed.
1359 - Duke Rudolph IV lays the cornerstone for the Ducal Chapels, created on his order.
1433 - The south tower is completed.
1417 - 1430 - The lower sacristy is constructed.
1430 - The nave walls are torn down. They had been replaced by more modern Gothic walls.
1450 - Emperor Friedrick III lays the cornerstone for the south tower.
1511 - Construction of the south tower is abandoned.
1578 - A cupola is built to cover up the top of the unfinished south tower.
1683 - The cathedral is struck by more than 1,000 cannonballs during a siege by the Turks.
1699 - Stephansdom's reliquary is torn down.
1711 - The main bell, known as the "Pummerin" is cast from the metal of captured Turkish cannons.
1782 - Emperor Joseph II forbids any more burials in the catacombs of the Stephansdom. The remains of an estimated 11,000 bodies are still there and available for public viewing.
1838 - 1860 - The north tower's cupola is rebuilt.
1860 - The clock is taken off the north tower for repair. It was never returned.
1945 - The cathedral burns for two days when embers from nearby burning buildings drift over Stephansdom, setting it alight. The neighboring buildings were burning because of Allied bombs.
1948 - The first mass is held in Stephansdom since it suffered damage in the Second World War.
1952 - Cardinal Innitzer presides over the inauguration of the rebuilt Stephansdom.
1957 - The new Pummerlin is put in place. It is cast from the remains of the old bell, destroyed in Allied air strikes.
1953 - Burials are once again held in Stephansdom's catacombs.
