Pilgrimage Church Maria Taferl in Austria, resort of Lower Austria
Rating: 7,6/10 (900 votes)  The Basilica of Maria Tafel is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Lower Austria. The church is located on the Danube coast in Melk district. The territory on which the church was located was part of the Habsburg possessions. For a long time, these lands were owned by Lord Weissenberg, who lived in the nearby city of Munehiraich. The construction of the church began in 1660 and was completed only half a century later. Construction work was carried out under the supervision of the Italian Carlo Lurago and Georg Gershtenbrandt. In 1710, the famous church dome was created by Jacob Prandtauer. The basilica was built in a baroque style and is decorated with gilding and frescoes. For the locals, the emergence of the church was a great joy - they regarded it, as a sign of hope after the plague, the Thirty Years' War and the Turkish Wars. In the 17th century, the church became a place of mass pilgrimage. In 1760, the church was visited by over 700 pilgrims who asked for deliverance from diseases and presented various gifts. According to legend, the pilgrims who visited the church were completely cured of their ailments. One of the reasons for the importance of the church as a place of pilgrimage was the stone cross, which was donated to the church in memory of the pilgrims who died from exhaustion on the way. In 2010, large-scale restoration work was carried out in the church. 
We also recommend reading Heiligenkreuz Monastery in Austria, Lower Austria health resort Topic: Pilgrimage Church Maria Taferl in Austria, resort of Lower Austria. |
