Stephansdom and the Imperial Crypt.

In Vienna there is a saying that, approximately, goes "as long as there is scaffolding on St. Stephen's, the people of Vienna knows all is well"

Stephansdom is the heart of the city today, and that was probably even more true centuries ago in the Vienna of yesteryear. We were given an extensive tour of Stephansdom, that lasted 4+ hours. Over an hour of it was spent walking around the exterior alone We were offered splendid insight into many aspects of the cathedral's history including the local legends, a few of which are retold here. The interior of the cathedral is beautiful, and one can feel the history dripping on you from the ceiling.

One of the most notable interior features of the time is the Gothic stone pulpit, masterfully carved from three solid pieces of stone. In addition to being marverously adorned it was also, reportedly, a wonderful display of early acoustic engineering, being shaped in such a way that the voice resonated clearly through the nave. Unfortunately, according to Gretl, our guide, the upper enclosure of the pulpit is being improperly displayed as the lid to the baptismal font. Another striking feature of this pulpit is that it characterizes a new era in church masonry --  the master builder, Anton Pilgram had the gumption to leave his signature (AND HIS FACE) on this the damned thing, something that wasn't unheard of at the time. Before this time, the church usually employed entire guilds to build these sorts of things, and to prevent displays of vanity in the glory of god, would often leave their work unsigned.

Der Fenstergucker - Anton Pilgram's self-portrait

A while after the tour, I made a trip to the Imperial Crypt (Kapuzinergruft). The crypt is located beneath the Capuchin church in the first district. Many members of the Habsburg royal family have been buried there over the years. I was expecting something very different from what I received. The Crypt was well-lit and felt rather open, nothing at all like the catacombs of the Michaelerkirche I visited the day before. When I was expecting to see another dank, stuffy chamber with bones just stacked in the corner, instead the sarcophogi were all very ornate and many were decorated with creepy (copper?) skeletons wearing crowns. I suppose one should not expect any less from the Habsburgs. Most of them have lived their life in extravagant displays of wealth -- why would death be any different?