Mariatrost Basilica, Graz, Austria

The Baroque Mariatrost Basilica is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of Styria in Austria. The pilgrimage church stands prominently on top of the Purberg hill in the northeast of Graz. It can be reached using the 200 or more steps of the Angelus stair. The basilica is classified as a Baroque building. Two front towers and a dome, visible from a great distance, are the characteristic attributes of the church, which is enclosed by two projecting wings of a former monastery once occupied by the Pauline Fathers (1708–86) and later by the Franciscans (1842–1996).

The building was begun in 1714 by Andreas Stengg and his son Johann Georg Stengg and finished in 1724. The pulpit by Veit Königer (1730/1731) is the masterpiece of the furnishings. The frescoes on the ceiling by Lukas von Schram and Johann Baptist Scheidt are of particular importance.

The main altar includes a statue of the Madonna originally created in the Gothic period around 1465, but altered to the Baroque style in 1695 by Bernhard Echter.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Austria

User Reviews

Srujankumar Howdekar (2 years ago)
Great architecture! Great Paintings on the ceiling! Excellent place on hill top! Very peaceful!

Mohammadreza Kariman (2 years ago)
A Catholic church with beautiful interior. The landscape from the church is also nice. Bear in mind that the church is located on a very steep hill. If you arrive by public transport, you should take a number of steps to get reach the church.

Sidhant Padhi (2 years ago)
Very beautiful church located in the hills of Graz.

Klaus Wanderer (3 years ago)
Imposing cathedral that impresses not only through sheer size but also through the very detailed and ornate baroque interior. Located on a hill and accessible via a flight of a few hundred steps makes the whole experience even greater, you have a nice view from the top as well. The church can easily be reached by the no. 1 bus from the city center and is free to enter. The facade has been fully renovated and at the time of my visit they were putting the finishing touches on revamping works for the interior, it looks amazing.

Erick Garcia (3 years ago)
The church is very pretty, and you can get a nice view from the top...

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.

Mariatrost Basilica

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle