Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located on the Cathedral Square of St. Pölten, has been the main church of the local diocese since the end of the 18th century.
The imposing temple with a 74-meter tower topped with a characteristic onion dome dates back to the 13th century. Its simple façade does not at all correspond to the richly decorated marble and gilded Baroque interior, on which Jacob Prandtauer worked in the years 1722-1730. Among the church's baroque treasures, the main altar by Tobias Pock, the nave frescoes by Thomas Gedon, the large organ and numerous religious paintings and sculptures depicting saints are worth noting. From the chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary, you can climb the choir.
The bells installed on the tower of the cathedral were cast in 1696 by the craftsman Matthias Prininger from Krems. Only the third bell disappeared during the First World War and was re-cast after 1945.
The Benedictine monastery of St. Hippolytus was built on the site of the present St. Pelten Cathedral in about 800. It was founded by the monks Adalbert and Ottokar from the Tegernsee monastery. It was the oldest Christian monastery in Lower Austria. And the church under him is considered the first temple in Austria. In 1081 the monastery in St. Pölten became Augustinian. It was consecrated in honor of Saint Peter. The current three-aisled church appeared on the abbey grounds in 1150, but a hundred years later it suffered a devastating fire. It was restored in 1267-1280, so this time period is considered the date of the construction of the modern cathedral. Previously, the temple was decorated with two towers, but one of them was destroyed by fire in 1512. The city refused to rebuild her.
