Vergilius Chapel

The Virgilkapelle, an underground crypt next to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, is a crypt of rectangular shape ( about 6 m × 10 m ) with six niches. It is now about 12 m below the level of Stephansplatz.

History

The history of the chapel is not very clear: Your architecture, dates back to the early 13th century. At this time, the last Duke of the House of Babenberg, Friedrich was the Quarrelsome (1230-1246), Lord of Vienna. It was hypothesized that the Duke of Vienna would have liked to seen as diocese, a crypt for the holy Koloman was built as the patron saint of the diocese desired. The chronicles do not mention the construction in any case, what gives rise to the assumption that it was a failed project anyway.

In 1307 a chapel of the bourgeois family Chrannest is mentioned. The chapel is said to have had several altars, one of which was dedicated to St. Virgilius of Salzburg.

In medieval times, St. Stephen's Cathedral was surrounded by a large cemetery. For the consecrations and requiems there was its own little chapel, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. The Virgilkapelle lay just below the chapel. A shaft leading up to the Magdalen Chapel.

In 1732 the cemetery was abandoned around the cathedral. The Magdalen Chapel burned down in 1781 and was not rebuilt ( presumably because it no cemetery no need for a cemetery chapel was ). The Virgilkapelle was filled and sank into oblivion.

In 1972 the chapel was re-discovered in the course of work on the Viennese subway. The interior was filled. After the removal of material, the band presented today in good condition, but the west wall fell the metro construction to the victim. The Virgilkapelle originally had no doors or windows and was only accessible from above via ladders. By removing the west wall, it can now be easily reached; as a consequence, the chapel was incorporated into the Stephansplatz underground station.

Am Stephansplatz has been simulated with colored stones of the floor plan of Virgilkapelle and Magdalen Chapel.

Access

The Virgilkapelle is now a branch of the Vienna Museum. It is accessible from the Stephansplatz underground metro station. Through a window in the intermediate level is a look into the top of the chapel possible. Furthermore, in the plutonic lap of the U3 station (direction Simmering ) was applied a passage leading to the ground floor of the Virgilkapelle. This, however since 2008 can not be used for reasons of conservation of visitors. At the entrance to the chapel is a historic ceramics collection.

Gallery

Vault

Cistern in the floor of the chapel

Drawing of the aerial Magdalen Chapel in 1609

Outlines of the Magdalen Chapel (red) and the Virgil Chapel (White) at Stephansplatz