Millstatt cloister

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Millstätter Kreuzgang is the cloister of the former Benedictine monastery in Millstatt on Lake Millstatt . Due to its rich, magical jewelry sculpture from the second half of the 12th century, it is considered an important architectural monument of the Romanesque . The Millstatt Abbey can be reached via the B 98 (distance to the Tauern Autobahn A 10 / Spittal-Millstätter See junction 9 km).

Cloister around 1890 still with planked arcades and ground
Southern quadruple arcade in the east wing
Romanesque sculpture "Paganism" and "Church" in battle
Layout
Double column base woman & lion

The rectangular monastery area adjoining the south side of the collegiate church, in whose grass-covered courtyard the former monastery well is located, formed the center of the former monastery. Its current appearance dates from the 15th century. The vaults of the approx. 4 m wide corridors, which were built in place of the original flat ceiling, are predominantly designed as star ridge vaults, in the south wing as jumping vaults. The pillars from the former first floor of the cloister are presumably built into the arcade courtyard of the castle. Towards the courtyard there are coupled arched windows, each with a central column. In the north wing there is a pointed arch portal, in the east and west wing there are baroque round arch portals.

The cloister portal, the former monk's gate to the church, is located in the northeast corner and was redesigned in late Gothic style around 1500 using Romanesque sculptures from the second half of the 12th century. Two former pillar figures , probably from the rood screen that was dismantled at the time , are now used as garb figures : St. Paul on the left , the Archangel Michael on the right . Two free columns support the vault of the cloister corner. Noteworthy are the two male atlases , symbolic of paganism or demons , which are held by women, symbol of the church , with a chain or a beard. Similar representations are otherwise known only from the east choir of the cathedral in Worms . It is possible that the most important builder of the Romanesque period, Heinrich II from the dynasty of the Counts of Andechs - Giech , abbot from 1166 onwards, commissioned a master from southern Germany with the execution of the architectural sculptures, to which the Millstatt School of Sculpture, which made the famous sculptures of the Created the west portal and the cloister. The project was probably financed from the fortune of Heinrich's mother Chunizza, who gave away her goods and dedicated herself to monastic life and is buried in the Siebenhirter chapel. The wing adjoining the church is single-story, the other three are two-story.

The most aesthetically pleasing part of the cloister is the outer side of the east wing, with the two quad arcades, in the middle of which there is a wide arched portal. The gate is the original entrance to the monks' chapter house , which no longer exists today. The variety of forms of Romanesque figures capitals and column bases with mythical creatures is exceptional. A variety of decorative, vegetable, animal and human motifs are used. The central theme is the victory of Christianity over the finally banished demonic powers. The most original and unique is the base of the double column in the middle of the southern quadruple arcade in the east wing. A resting lion carries the outer column with the mouth of its upturned head. On the lion's back crouches astride, but upside down, a woman with her tongue out and the inner column resting on her hump.

In the cloister there are some wall paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. The subsequent installation of the vaults is clearly visible on the fresco Madonna and Child from around 1430. There are also scenes from the legend of St. George and a Madonna with saints.

In the period between the abolition of the Jesuit residence in 1773 and the rise of tourism from the end of the 19th century, there was little interest in cultural monuments. The cloister was partly used commercially by the tenants of the student fund rulers, for example as a carpentry shop. Around 1890, the four arcades were still covered with wooden boards. The floor with a relatively steep level to the exit on the lower left was only covered with marble in the 20th century.

Others

On May 15, 1970, the Austrian Post issued a definitive stamp in dunkelsiena for this motif from the Austrian architectural monuments stamp series to the value of 1.00 Schilling .

Individual evidence

  1. Reinhard Hootz (ed.): Art monuments in Austria. Carinthia. Styria. Munich, 1976, pp. 362-393.
  2. Johannes Grabmayer: Popular belief and popular piety in late medieval Carinthia. Böhlau Verlag, Vienna a. a. 1994, ISBN 3-205-05550-0 , p. 104.

Web links

Commons : Millstätter Kreuzgang  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′ 15 ″  N , 13 ° 34 ′ 15 ″  E