Schottenkirke

I told you that you'd see lots of Viennese churches here in the blog. Today continues this expectation. Today I bring you a few images from the Schottenkirke (the Scottish Church).

Our examination of this church is limited because our access is limited. there is an iron gate/fence across the rear of the church that restricts access to the rear/lobby area. Nevertheless, what you can see from here is quite impressive.

Wikipedia tells us that,

The Schottenkirche (English: Scots Church) is a parish church in Vienna attached to the Schottenstift, founded by Hiberno (Irish)-Scots Benedictine monks in the 12th century. In 1418, the Duke Albert V of Austria transferred it to the German-speaking Benedictine monks from the Melk Abbey during the Melker Reform initiated after the Council of Constance.^[4] The church was elevated to the rank of Basilica Minor in 1958.

Of course, this is not the original 12th century building. It has been remodelled and rebuilt several times.

The first church was a three-aisled Romanesque pillar church with a single apse, destroyed by a fire in 1276.

An earthquake circa 1443 greatly damaged the existing church on the site. Restorations were completed by 1449 but poorly done, due to lack of money, and on 21 May 1634, the roof collapsed in full view of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.^{[citation needed]}

The collapse of the tower, struck by a lightning bolt in 1638, was seized as an opportunity to completely rebuild the church in Baroque style. From 1638 to 1641, the reconstruction was undertaken by the architects Carlo Antonio Carlone and Marco Spazzio. From 1643 to 1648, Andrea Allio the Old, Andrea Allio the Young and Silvestro Carlone reworked the nave and the west side.^[6][7][8] In the process, the length of the church was somewhat reduced, with the result that the tower no longer stands directly beside the basilica.

After the Turkish siege, the church was restored again.^[9] As the baroque west tower was barely higher than the facade itself, its extension has often been discussed, but these plans have never come to fruition. The choir tower was dedicated only in the year 1893.

Thus, there is a reason for the ornate trim and fine furnishings. We can see a little of this Baroque ornamentation in the ceiling just above the door as we exit this fine building.