Finally, the inside of St. Stephens and another tour with Dr. O! We started with the small scale model on the outside of the church so we could gain an overview of its history. The idea of St. Stephen's was first conceived because Vienna wanted to lure an archbishop to the city because they wanted a Cathedral. It began the construction of the church in the middle of the twelfth century.
Next we headed inside with Dr. O as our guide. We started with the work of Master Pilgrim, which is exhibited in the work of the pulpit. It was built in the Gothic style even though it was finished at the time of the Renaissance in 1500. Since Vienna sits to the north of the Alps, the Renaissance reached the city later as it took time to travel up from Italy, where it was already in full swing by 1500. Dr. O explained that the construction of the church began at the back, which is evidenced in the original Romanesque facade at the left of the church. Construction then moved slowly forward, with the back of the church being built in the early Gothic period. As the building proceeded, the more ornate Gothic architecture was seen in the mid-section to the front facade of the church. The interior of the church looks very gray and somber but Dr. O explained that it originally was very bright. The original stained glass windows were composed of bright rich colors and the statuary was also painted in similar colors. The windows were replaced in the Baroque period with plain pale colored stained glass windows and the paint of the statues has unfortunately faded with time.
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