Description of the attraction
The majestic Baroque building on Linzerstraße is the famous Institute of English Maidens. It was built in 1706 as a monastery and a higher institution for girls from noble families.
The Institute of English Maidens in St. Pölten was established by the Congregation of Jesus (not to be confused with the Jesuits) religious order, founded by the English nun Mary Ward, who insisted that women had the right to receive education on an equal basis with men. At the Institute of English Maidens in 1715, the construction of a small church began. The educational building, which is the work of the famous architect Jacob Prandtauer, gradually expanded from 1767 to 1769 until it reached its current size. At the same time, a presbytery appeared in the chapel. The dome of the temple is decorated with a fresco by Paul Troger. This painting was the first work of a Tyrolean artist in Lower Austria. Bartolomeo Altomonte painted the vault of the main hall of the Institute of English Maidens on a theme from the life of the Virgin Mary.
The Institute building looks majestic, thanks to the skillful design of the facade. Light-colored pilasters separate the window niches. The building can be entered through one of four doors. On the sides of the portals are marble sculptures of the Atlanteans supporting the cornice. The façade is also decorated with deep niches in which statues of saints, probably created by Peter Vederin and Andreas Gruber, are installed.
Today, the English Maidens Institute is still a high-class educational institution. Girls from respectable families are educated here. One of the graduates of this Institute was the author of the Austrian national anthem.
