Mariazell Basilica — Attraction in Mariazell

One of the most beautiful Catholic churches in all Austria, also known as Basilica Mariä Geburt (Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary). Sadly is one of the few churches in Austria that you can't photograph inside by it holynesss.

It is the most important Christian pilgrimage destination in Austria and one of the most visited shrines in Europe. In the church, a miraculous wooden image of the Virgin Mary is venerated.

The territory around Mariazell was given to St. Lambert's Abbey around 1103, and the monks built a cell in order to serve the local residents. Tradition gives the town's founding day as December 21, 1157, but it is first documented in 1243. A Marian altar was dedicated in 1266.

In the fourteenth century, a gothic church stood at Mariazell with a 90 m high spire and an ogive portal. In 1420 and 1474, the church was destroyed by fire.

The church building was later expanded and redesigned in the It's architecture is a mixed Gothic / Baroque styles, designed by the architect Domenico Sciassia, constructed between 1644 and 1683, and to the left and right of the gothic spire, a baroque tower was built, the nave was lengthened and widened, and a dome was added on the eastern side. The high altar, consecrated in 1704, was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

The twelve side chapels each contain a baroque altar. The plaster stucco work of the organ gallery and the 1737 organ console was created by the Viennese sculptor Johann Wagner in 1740.

In front of the main entrance are two life-sized lead statues created by Balthasar Moll in 1757. To the left stands King Ludwig I of Hungary and to the right is Heinrich, Margrave of Moravia.

In 1907, the pilgrimage church was elevated to a basilica minor, the basilica has been undergoing a general restoration since 1992, which was completed in 2007 (I visited it in 2005).

Pope Pius X personally raised the sanctuary to the status of a minor basilica by a Motu proprio on 10 November 1907. Later, he ensured the coronation of the Marian image by a decree on 8 September 1908. Mariazell is the only church named as a national shrine of all German-speaking countries.

There are three basic legends about the founding of Mariazell and its development. The legend of the town's founding says that in 1157, a monk of St. Lambrecht, called Magnus, was sent to the area of the current town as a minister. When his way was blocked by a rock, he set down the Marian figurine he had brought with him, whereby the rock broke apart and left Magnus' way clear. On a nearby bank, he settled down, placed the figurine on a tree trunk, and built a cell out of wood, which served as both his chapel and his living quarters.

The second legend relates how Henry Margrave of Moravia and his wife, having been healed of severe gout by the help of Our Lady of Mariazell, made a pilgrimage to that place around 1200. There they had the first stone church built on the site of the wooden chapel.

The third legend recounts a victorious battle of the Hungarian King Ludwig I. over a numerically superior Turkish army. In thanks he built the gothic church and endowed it with the Schatzkammerbild (treasury image) that he saw laid upon his...

Nestled high in the Alpine mountains of Austria, the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariazell is the most-visited Marian shrine in Central Europe, receiving about a million pilgrims each year.

The basilica and shrine is located at the center of Mariazell, which is also a popular resort town, and its three west towers can be seen from around the city. The central tower is Gothic and was preserved from the 14th-century church; the two flanking Baroque towers were added in the 17th century. The Gothic portal with carved tympanum has also been preserved.

Inside, the miraculous statue is housed in the Lady Chapel or Chapel of Miracles, which stands directly over the place where Magnus established his monastic cell in 1157.

The statue is a small (48 cm tall) Romanesque wooden figure of the seated Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. In the Baby's hands are an apple and a fig, calling to mind the Fall of Adam, but also Christ's redemption of mankind. Both Mary and Jesus are almost entirely covered in rich garments and wear golden, jewel-encrusted crowns.

Pilgrims who have received a blessing after praying to Our Lady of Mariazell leave ex-votos (gifts "out of thanks") at the shrine. As a testament to Mariazell's great popularity, the ex-votos represent one of the greatest numbers of nationalities of any...

Very impressive church. Outside as well as inside. If you search for the area in which you can light a candle, there is a special room behind the church. If you see it you will understand why it is this way. The "candle room" is completely covered with grime from the candles. All of this would be inside the beautiful church. Very well solved. Many souvenir booths right next to the church. Also many hotels and restaurants all around in walking distance. Watch out were you eat because the prices vary. Also worth mentioning is the art of ginger bread manufacturers in the city which are very delicious if you like it. All in all it was a great experience for us and we will be...