Description of the attraction
The Forau Monastery of the Augustinian Order is one of the oldest monasteries in Austria and one of the main attractions of the federal state of Styria.
Forau Monastery was founded in 1163 by the order of the Margrave of Styria Ottokar III. The construction was supervised by Archbishop Eberhard I of Salzburg, who also sent its first inhabitants to Forau - monks from the monasteries of Salzburg and Seckau.
Forau Monastery has always had strong patrons. Its special status is evidenced by the right of the abbots of the monastery to wear during solemn services the episcopal vestments, granted in 1452 by Pope Nicholas V, as well as their own coat of arms and permission to have an armory received from Emperor Frederick III in 1453.
Throughout its history, the monastery has experienced several devastating fires. The monastery walls did not protect themselves from strong outbreaks of the plague that raged throughout Europe and claimed thousands of lives. In the middle of the 15th century, due to the constant threat of attack, for the sake of security, the monastery was thoroughly fortified and turned into a rather powerful fortification, surrounded by a deep moat with water, which could only be crossed by a drawbridge.
In 1940, the monastery came under the control of the Nazis, and the monks were forced to leave the holy monastery. The first monks were able to return to the monastery only in May 1945, and since the monastery complex suffered significant destruction during the hostilities, they immediately began to restore it.
Perhaps the only building of the Forau Monastery that was practically not damaged during the Second World War is the Cathedral Church, built in 1660-1662 by the architect Domenico Schiassia. The interior decoration of the temple in the high baroque style dates back to the first half of the 18th century. Of course, the main altar of the temple, designed by the famous sculptor and architect Matthias Steinl and made entirely of wood (although it may seem that some of its elements are made of marble), and the sacristy, decorated with stunning wall frescoes by the talented Austrian painter Johann Hackhofer, deserve special attention. …
The monastery's library is also a special pride, with a unique collection of about 40,000 volumes, including 206 incunabula, as well as more than 400 ancient manuscripts. Among the most valuable items of the collection are the so-called "Imperial Chronicle" and "The Gospel of Forau". There are also two old globes in the library (both date back to the 17th century). The first is a model of the globe, made in accordance with the ideas about the Earth in the 17th century, in the second, you can see a map of the starry sky of the same period.
