The Vienna Votive Church
The Vienna Votivkirche (votive church) counts among the most significant Neogothic ecclesiastic buildings worldwide. The monument, standing at the famous Vienna Ringstrasse, embodies the peoples' gratitude for the rescue of young emperor Franz Josef I from an attempted assassination. The attacker was Hungarian nationalist Janos Libenyi. The construction was assigned mid-19th century, after a project contest,to 26-year-old Heinrich von Ferstel. The Neo-Gothic church is made up of 3 naves, a west choir and a radiating chapel, with apsidioles, inspired by the French model and belonging to the architectural style called Historicism.
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The Votive Church was built from a variety of materials, from Wollersdorfer, Istrian and Krainer rock to limestone. The facade presents three gabled portals with archivaults, two supple and colossal towers flanking a rose window, elaborate lacing and triforiums, gargoyles, winged creatures, dogs and bucks, sandstone figurines and the gorgeous and graceful flying buttresses with pinnacles, found at the greatest Gothic cathedrals.
The crossing of the nave with the transept is marked by a cross vault or star vault on the interior, painted with allegorical representations of the four cardinal virtues, and a small spire on the roof. The higher central nave is separated from the lateral ones through an archway of colossal clustered pillars. The lateral naves extend into chapels, making it seems like there were 5 naves instead of 3. The interior presents two aisles.
The choir area features three levels: the radiating chapel, a gallery and a clear-story, corresponding to the sculpture gallery on the main facade. The gallery extends over the facade as a tracery balustrade. The roof is covered with tiles displayed such as to form a simple geometric model.
The impressive main altar is built of marble with gilded retable and an Italian Gothic inspired canopy flanked by pinnacles with statues of saints, on four massive red granite columns. The altar is decorated with panels with glass mosaic and supported by 6 alabaster columns.
The front spandrel illustrates a mosaic of Mary trampling on the snake.
The Renaissance sarcophagus of Nicholas, the Count of Salm, defender of Vienna during the Turkish siege from 1529, stands in the baptistery.
