Imbergkirche

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The Imbergkirche, seen from the Mönchsberg
The onion dome of the Imbergkirche

The Roman Catholic Imberg Church is elevated above Steingasse at the foot of the Kapuzinerberg or below the Capuchin monastery in the right-hand old town of Salzburg in Austria .

History and construction

It is consecrated to the two Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist John and was often called the "Church of St. John on the Mountain". After the early medieval investiture controversy, the two holy church patrons Johannes were popular symbols of the contemplative and active Christian way of life, i.e. of the hermit and the Christian warrior.

The small single-nave church below the Capuchin monastery is a small and, apart from the neat onion dome, simple on the outside. It is essentially Romanesque and was first mentioned in 1319. From 1594 to 1599 the church was used as a monastery church for the Capuchins . The choir of the church is slightly drawn in, it has a flat ceiling and a segmental arch. The old entrance from the house at Linzergasse 4 with its associated north-facing church portal is now walled up under the plaster but remains visible. Possibly there was an old, once generally accessible entrance to the church here.

The ceiling painting of the church was painted by Andrä Lang again in 1772 . In the nave, it shows a false dome painted in perspective, in which the head of John the Baptist is depicted surrounded by a group of angels.

In 1681 the church was redesigned in Baroque style under Archbishop Max Gandolf von Kuenburg , expanded with chapels and got its onion dome.

The extensive restoration of the church over the past 15 years has led to the rediscovery of the interior, which is neat inside. These renovations are mainly thanks to Johannes Neuhardt , who in several steps since 1970 renewed the church inside and out in an exemplary manner.

The marble high altar

Today's high altar was erected around 1775. The altarpiece depicting the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist was made before 1700 and was supplemented after 1700 by an essay with the image of God the Father. The upper picture shows John the Baptist. The side statues on the consoles represent Saints Florian and Rosalia , those in the essay the Saints Anthony and John Nepomuk . They were all designed by Johann Georg Hinzl . The ornate tabernacle dates from 1775.

The two side altars and the Heiducken brotherhood

The church was once also a pilgrimage church. The pilgrims here venerated a copy of the Madonna picture from Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, called Maria Schnee . The church was well attended on the feast days of Saint John, June 24th and December 27th. The church was also the seat of brotherhoods , as the religious lay associations used to call themselves. The association of servants of the Archbishop's Court , founded in 1756, who were also called Heiducken in reference to the heroic fighters against the Turks, had their brotherhood altar in the side altar of the southern chapel. Both altars are made in their altar leaves by Franz Nikolaus Streicher, the figures like those of the high altar were designed by Johann Georg Hitzl. The northern altar panel shows the crucifixion of Christ, the figures represent Saints Francis of Assisi and Helena . The southern altar panel shows the death of Saint Joseph , the side figures depict the two saints of the church.

literature

  • Reinhard Medicus: About the Capuchin monastery and garden, Franziskuskapelle and St. Johannis Church , In: Bastei, magazine for the preservation and care of buildings, culture and society , 56th year, 2nd episode, June 2007

Web links

Commons : St. Johann am Imberg  - collection of images, videos and audio files

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Coordinates: 47 ° 48 ′ 6 ″  N , 13 ° 2 ′ 44 ″  E