Kappele, Wurzburg

The Kappele from the Marienberg hill  (Creative Commons)

 Years before I went to Portugal and experienced the Bom Jesus stairway near Braga,  I had experienced the Kappele at the top of the St Nicholas Hill in Wurzburg. I had not seen any of these stepped pilgrimage centres on a hill.  This Via Crucis (Way of the Cross)  has 14 stations of the Cross with a church at the top and I had heard that  Balthasar Neumann had been involved in its construction. This seems to be the time to revisit in this post.

Interior of the church (Creative Commons)

St Nicholas hill is next to another hill on the same side of the river Main (opposite the city centre) containing the formidable Marienberg fortress. A wayside shrine grew up on St  Nicholas hill during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) and after miracles were reported in 1650 there was pressure to build a more  suitable chapel. The ruling Prince-Bishops were not  keen  on this due to its position near the fortress. Pressure continued and access was improved. Plans were drawn by Balthasar Neumann in the 1730s but lack of funds, particularly from Friedrich Carl von Schonborn, prevented the rebuilding project. Eventually under his successor Anselm Franz von Ingelheim revised plans by Neumann were accepted, money found, and work began in 1747. The Capuchins became involved from this time and established a hospice and helped pilgrims. Another new Prince-Bishop, Carl Philipp von Greiffenclau reinstated Neumann and provided funds to complete the church. The two thin towers on the facade with their spiky onion domes stick in the mind. Stucco work by Johann Michael Feichtmayr and ceilings by Matthias Gunther were finished by 1752  and they gave it the rococo feel that we experience today. 

Example of ceiling fresco by Gunther (Creative Commons)

The way up to the church was given its stepped terrace from 1761 comprising 14 Way of the Cross chapels on five terraces. There are 265 steps : I was younger then so I do not recall the climb, in contrast to the recent Bom Jesus climb in 2022... Apparently the Capuchins provided the inspiration for the staircase. The terraced Via Crucis  with its church is unique in Southern Germany. 

A further change to the skyline was made when the old chapel of grace to the side of the church was replaced entirely  by a new building in 1778  planned by Johann Philipp Geigel and Johann Michael Fischer, who were working on the Via Crucis at the time. The interior apparently is neo-classical and gloomy. I do not recall it. 

Fortunately the Kappele has survived both the secularisation after 1803 and various major wars. Restorations in the 19th century were less fortunate and I look forward to return one day, to climb the stairs (??) and enjoy the interior of the church with its frescos hopefully cleaned up.                                        

Floor plan : church is below 
with towers on the left