Description of the attraction
The Small Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is also called the Basilica of Maryazel by the name of the city where it is located, is one of the most famous temples in Austria. The treasure of the Austrian people is preserved here - the miraculous statue of Our Lady, which is often called the Great Mother of the country.
The figurine of the Virgin Mary is notable for its small size - its height is only 48 cm. It is made of linden and dressed in richly decorated clothes. According to local legends, it was this statue that caused the appearance of the Mariazell Basilica. The future founder of the chapel that previously stood on the site of the current temple, the Benedictine monk Magnus was once sent by the leadership of his monastery to the city of Mariazel. Gathering simple belongings, the monk put a small sculpture of the Mother of God in his knapsack. At the end of 1157, he found himself in front of a rock, which there was no way to get around. The frustrated monk pulled out the image of the Madonna from his luggage and offered her a prayer. The rock suddenly split apart, allowing the monk to pass. Magnus was so shocked by this event that he decided to settle near the rock and build a chapel here for the miraculous image.
Almost immediately the believers found out about the miracle in Mariazel. The pilgrims reached out to the Chapel of Magnus. Their flow does not stop until our time.
The future basilica appeared on the site of the chapel in 1243. In the XIV century, the Romanesque small building of the temple was rebuilt in the Gothic manner by order of the Hungarian ruler Louis the Great. In the middle of the 17th century, the church acquired a baroque appearance. The author of the interior design is the architect Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach. He also designed the main altar.
