Bergkirche

Eisenstadt, Austria

The Bergkirche was built in the early 18th century by Prince Paul Esterházy. Eisenstadt was the seat of the Esterházy family, and the church lies just short walk to the west of the family's main palace.

The Bergkirche is architecturally quite unusual and is built in two parts. The main section, the church proper, is approximately a square. The interior is in Baroque style. The ceiling takes the form of a dome, which was painted in fresco in the late 18th century.

A side chapel is dominated by a large marble sarcophagus, the tomb of the composer Joseph Haydn, who spent much of his career in Eisenstadt working for the Esterházys. The remains of most of Haydn's body have rested here since 1932; the skull was added (with due pomp and ceremony) only in 1954; for the reason for the disparity see Haydn's head.

The church still possesses its original organ, built in the 18th century by the Viennese maker Gottfried Malleck; the instrument has been restored to its original state, as it was when it was played by Haydn and Beethoven at the premieres of famous works. The original console, however, is no longer used but resides now in the nearby Haydn Museum.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Kirchengasse 3, Eisenstadt, Austria
See all sites in Eisenstadt

Details

Founded: 1715
Category: Religious sites in Austria

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.eisenstadt-tourismus.at

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Schloss Esterházy (0,6 km)
Eisenstadt Cathedral (1 km)


St. Stephen's Cathedral (41,7 km)
Hofburg Palace (41,7 km)
Museumsquartier (41,4 km)
Kunsthistorisches Museum (41,4 km)
Augustinian Church (41,5 km)
Albertina (41,4 km)
St. Peter's Church (41,9 km)
Schönbrunn Palace (40,6 km)
Minoritenkirche (42 km)

User Reviews

Leopold David Zöserl (21 months ago)
Die römisch-katholische Bergkirche Eisenstadt (auch als Haydnkirche oder Kalvarienbergkirche bekannt) steht im Stadtteil Oberberg-Eisenstadt der Gemeinde Eisenstadt im Burgenland. Sie ist dem Fest Mariä Heimsuchung geweiht und gehört zum Dekanat Eisenstadt in der Diözese Eisenstadt. Das Bauwerk steht unter Denkmalschutz.
Marija Kaučič (23 months ago)
Osupljivo lepa cerkev, z Haydnovim mavzolejem in kalvarijo. Posebna zunanjost jo uvršča med najlepše cerkve. Tudi notranjost je zelo lepa.
Alessio Mavri (2 years ago)
The Bergkirche is a church of Catholic denomination and it was built in the early 18th century by Prince Paul Esterházy. Eisenstadt was the seat of the Esterházy family, and the church lies just a short walk to the west of the family's main palace. In addition to housing Haydn's tomb, the Bergkirche is notable in the history of music in that it was the scene of the premiere of most of the six late masses that Haydn wrote for his patrons during the final phase of his career. Later, Ludwig van Beethoven led the 1807 premiere of his Mass in C in the church.
Attila Tényi (2 years ago)
Interesting and beautiful. Visit it!
Peter Baráth (4 years ago)
Really nice architectural design
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright oxfordblues84

Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

The famous Italian Medici family have given two queens to France: Catherine, the spouse of Henry II, and Marie, widow of Henry IV, who built the current Luxembourg palace. Maria di Medici had never been happy at the Louvre, still semi-medieval, where the fickle king, did not hesitate to receive his mistresses. The death of Henry IV, assassinated in 1610, left the way open for Marie's project. When she became regent, she was able to give special attention to the construction of an imposing modern residence that would be reminiscent of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, where she grew up. The development of the 25-hectare park, which was to serve as a jewel-case for the palace, began immediately.

The architect, Salomon de Brosse, began the work in 1615. Only 16 years later was the palace was completed. Palace of Luxembourg affords a transition between the Renaissance and the Classical period.

In 1750, the Director of the King's Buildings installed in the wing the first public art-gallery in France, in which French and foreign canvases of the royal collections are shown. The Count of Provence and future Louis XVIII, who was living in Petit Luxembourg, had this gallery closed in 1780: leaving to emigrate, he fled from the palace in June 1791.

During the French Revolution the palace was first abandoned and then moved as a national prison. After that it was the seat of the French Directory, and in 1799, the home of the Sénat conservateur and the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. The old apartments of Maria di Medici were altered. The floor, which the 80 senators only occupied in 1804, was built in the middle of the present Conference Hall.

Beginning in 1835 the architect Alphonse de Gisors added a new garden wing parallel to the old corps de logis, replicating the look of the original 17th-century facade so precisely that it is difficult to distinguish at first glance the old from the new. The new senate chamber was located in what would have been the courtyard area in-between.

The new wing included a library (bibliothèque) with a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix. In the 1850s, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Gisors created the highly decorated Salle des Conférences, which influenced the nature of subsequent official interiors of the Second Empire, including those of the Palais Garnier.

During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), Hermann Göring took over the palace as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe in France, taking for himself a sumptuous suite of rooms to accommodate his visits to the French capital. Since 1958 the Luxembourg palace has been the seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.