Description of the attraction
In the place where the Franciscan Church of St. Michael is located in the Austrian Eisenstadt, there was previously a Minorite monastery with the Church of St. John the Evangelist. However, in 1529, during the first siege of Vienna by the Turks, the monastery was destroyed and for almost 100 years the holy place remained empty. Exactly until Count Nikolaus Esterhazy founded a Franciscan monastery here in 1625.
The construction of the monastery lasted from 1625 to 1629, and the consecration of the church took place in 1630. In the church dungeons, five rooms were equipped, in which the prince's crypt was located. But already during the second Vienna siege by the Turks, both the church and the monastery were burned to the ground. This time, the period before recovery lasted about 70 years. It happened in 1772. And in 1777-1778, the construction of the western church tower followed. From 1856 to 187, the Esterhazy prince's crypt was rebuilt and expanded.
The reconstruction work did not end there. In 1898, a general renovation of the church followed, from 1958 to 1959 restoration work was carried out on the interior, and in 1971 the facade was completely renewed.
The decoration of the Franciscan Church of St. Michael is striking in its magnificence. White walls and high vaults, three altars decorated with gold - here asceticism and luxury do not contradict at all, but in a sense even complement each other.
For many years, the Esterhazy family has pondered the possibility of opening the family crypt for public access. At the moment, an intermediate solution has been found: a special system of mirrors allows visitors to look into the prince's tomb without disturbing the peace of the deceased aristocrats.
