Votive Church in Vienna and the Neo-Gothic

by Victor Grigore, Webphoto.ro

Unfortunately, as the church was under restoration process, I only have some modest pictures from the outside of this Gothic wonder. Though built in the middle of the XIX century, the Votive Church integrates very well in a city that takes great pride in its medieval heritage. The architect Heinrich von Ferstel, who was only 26 years old when he has won the project contest, used history as a reference and integrated the cathedral with neighboring castles and Gothic cathedrals, with a touch from the French Gothic. The name of the Votive Church (Votivkirche) signifies an offering as a thanks sign as it was built from donations after a failed assassination attempt on emperor Franz Joseph.

The high sharp spires artfully decorated with sculptures are the landmark of the Votive Church in Vienna, which is by tradition very opened to Eastern Catholics from countries that were part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and is now opened to believers of many nations.
Built out of sandstone, the Votikirche is brighter than St Stephan (Stephandome), the greatest cathedral in Vienna. Also its delicate decorations make it look more like a jewelry work. The Neo-Gothic started in the XVIII and XIX century as an artistic movement that marked an awakening in the Catholic church, with reinterpretations and revaluations of the Medieval Gothic traditions. When used in secular architecture the Neo-Gothic (Victorian Gothic) was sometimes opposed to the Neo-Classic architecture, opposing monarchy and religious values to the republican and Enlightenment values. The Neo-Gothic can also be described ans romantic and nationalistic.