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| Classic view up to the Church flanked by Library and Marmorsaal CC BY-SA 4.0 Thomas Ledl |
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| CC BY-SA 4.Uoaei1 |
Twice I bypassed this great Abbey and when I finally had the time and opportunity in 1989, I arrived in the dark- and pitched my little ridge tent in the campsite near the river.
We returned in 2008 arriving by boat on a river trip from Durnstein.
Now I see Melk every day - I have a model on the shelf next to where I am writing today.
The Benedictines were given a castle by the Babenburg Margrave Leopold II in 1089 and it was on this land that a monastery grew up. The rise of Protestantism in the 16th century led to significant decline and 1550 there were only 8 monks living there. Turkish raids and taxation were ruining the Abbey. The defeat of the Turks outside Vienna in 1683 lifted a huge cloud from the area and confidence returned. In 1700 Bertold Dietmayr was elected Abbot at the age of 30. Ambitious and energetic he was to be abbot 39 years . By his work at the University in Vienna, as a member of the Imperial Diet, and manager of the conventual estates, he had the means and ability to push for rebuilding. Display of splendour could serve God. He was able to prove that the rebuilding plans came from current revenues when challenged by critics. The chosen architect was Jakob Prandtauer (1660-1726) from the Tyrol, a master mason and sculptor. He belonged to a religious brotherhood and his son was a canon. His designs retained a monastic character e.g. he southern facade. He was told to keep to the old site which extended along a rocky ledge.
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| Aerial view showing the fantastic situation CC BY-SA 4.0 Carsten Steger |
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| Prelate's court CC BY-SA 3.0 Aconcagua |
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Marmorsaal ceiling CC BY SA 2.5 Alberto Fernandez Fernandez
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The abbey complex we see today is majestic from any angle. The ridge on which it is built so narrow that the church is an inseparable part of the whole .The church facade is usually seen through the flanking curves of the monastic buildings housing Library one side and Marmorsaal the other. Formerly this western orientation had been a plain arcaded court. Prandtauer opened it up with a low gallery in front . Genius! The tower superstructures were rebuilt by Munggenast after a fire in 1738 light and beautiful with some similarity with Durnstein. The dome is unlike the usual type at Viennese churches and has horizontal bands rather than the usual vertical ribs as at St Peter's in Rome.
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| Dome and high altar CC BY-SA 3.0 |
The interior strikes first for its intense colour scheme : pillasters of reddish brown ,marble against a background of paler red with white only in the ceiling frescos. There is a great sense of height and just about all wall space is faced or decorated. There are subtle lighting effects and light is concentrated around the dome and high altar areas. The crossing with shallow transepts does not have heavy transverse arches and the dome appears to hover. The dome is 210 feet and painted angels hover making music. There are very fine frescos of the Church Triumphant and of the Holy Trinity by Michael Rottmayr dating from 1716. The high altar (1732) is by Antonio Beduzzi and the statues are by Peter Widerin. Saints Peter and Paul are taking leave of each other. There is a huge crown above them symbolic of victory and the words 'non coronabitur nisi legitime certaverit' or he shall not be crowned except he have fought the good fight. Far above God the Father sits on a globe. There is a notable altar by Widerin nestled away on a pier at the side. The organ case is splendid (1733).
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| The ceiling frescos CC BY-SA 4.Uoaei1 |
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