Church of St. Nikolaus, Lockenhaus
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saints Nicholas is an early Baroque
parish church
located in the Güns Valley in Lockenhaus
, in the Austria
n state
of Burgenland
. It was built during the period of 1655 to 1669. Commissioned by Franz III. Nádasdy, the church was entrusted to the Augustinians
and was dedicated to both St. Nicholas of Myra
and St. Nicholas of Tonentino
, in reference to the role of Fr. Nicholas Donellan (O.E.S.A
) in Nädasdy's conversion to the Catholic faith. The parish church overlooks the town's main square.
, setting in the Catholic restoration in his estates.
Franz III. Nádasdy commissioned the church to Piero Orsolini of Siena, whom Nádasdy met while studying in Italy, oversaw the construction over the course of 13 years. Its construction began in 1655 and the foundation stone was laid on July 2, 1656. Progress delayed when cracks were discovered on the walls. With the building finished, consecration took place in 1669.
. On the corners, there are chapels with semi-circular indentations. A painting by Georg Kiery of Güns, created in 1675, is located at the high altar; it depicts the church's two Pattron Saints. There are six other altars on the sides of the church. The interior features also include a high relief of cherub
s clinging to acanthus
leaves.
The pulpit was a later addition; it originated at a church in Baden
. A tower roof was replaced in 1769. Other renovations occurred in 1895 and 1913. In 1957, new bells were purchased. A major interior and exterior restoration began in 1986, costing more than 750,000 euros. In 2003, a new organ was installed; the largest in the region, it has 2400 pipes that range from 8 millimetre (0.31496062992126 in) to 4 m in height.
A large crypt
is situated beneath the nave
, the final resting place of the Nádasdy and Drašković
families. The crypt contains red marble tombs belonging to the Nádasdy family, the sarcophagus
of Franz III. Nádasdy, and an unusual piece of artwork, a black Madonna
on the altar. Several Augustinians are also buried in the crypt.
. The church concert series "Musica Sacra Lockenhaus" was founded in 1998.
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
located in the Güns Valley in Lockenhaus
Lockenhaus
Lockenhaus is a town in the district of Oberpullendorf in Burgenland in Austria.- History :The town was part of Hungary since the foundation of the kingdom in the year 1000. Since 1898 the name Léka had to be used because of the Magyarization by the government in Budapest...
, in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Burgenland
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
. It was built during the period of 1655 to 1669. Commissioned by Franz III. Nádasdy, the church was entrusted to the Augustinians
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
and was dedicated to both St. Nicholas of Myra
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
and St. Nicholas of Tonentino
Nicholas of Tolentino
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino , known as the Patron of Holy Souls, was an Italian saint and mystic.-Biography:...
, in reference to the role of Fr. Nicholas Donellan (O.E.S.A
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
) in Nädasdy's conversion to the Catholic faith. The parish church overlooks the town's main square.
History
Count Nikolaus "Miklós" of Esterházy (1583–1645), palatine of Hungary, made a lot of efforts to win his relative and neighbour Franz III. Nádasdy (1621–1671) over to the Catholic faith. After visiting Italy and meeting with Fr Nicholas Donellan, an Augustinian from Vienna, the 22-year-old Nádasdy publicly declared his conversion to Catholicism on Nov. 25, 1643 in the church of CsepregCsepreg
Csepreg is a town in Vas County, Hungary. it is the largest town on the Répce River.Although tourism, particularly camping and fishing, are important sources of income for the town, a plan for the establishment of a metal finishing factory was accepted by the council after the first plan had been...
, setting in the Catholic restoration in his estates.
Franz III. Nádasdy commissioned the church to Piero Orsolini of Siena, whom Nádasdy met while studying in Italy, oversaw the construction over the course of 13 years. Its construction began in 1655 and the foundation stone was laid on July 2, 1656. Progress delayed when cracks were discovered on the walls. With the building finished, consecration took place in 1669.
Architecture and fittings
The church layout is in the shape of an elongated Greek crossCross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
. On the corners, there are chapels with semi-circular indentations. A painting by Georg Kiery of Güns, created in 1675, is located at the high altar; it depicts the church's two Pattron Saints. There are six other altars on the sides of the church. The interior features also include a high relief of cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
s clinging to acanthus
Acanthus
Acanthus , in its feminine form acantha , is the Latinised form of the ancient Greek word acanthos or akanthos, referring to the Acanthus plant. It can also be used as the prefix acantho-, meaning "thorny"...
leaves.
The pulpit was a later addition; it originated at a church in Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. A tower roof was replaced in 1769. Other renovations occurred in 1895 and 1913. In 1957, new bells were purchased. A major interior and exterior restoration began in 1986, costing more than 750,000 euros. In 2003, a new organ was installed; the largest in the region, it has 2400 pipes that range from 8 millimetre (0.31496062992126 in) to 4 m in height.
A large crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
is situated beneath the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, the final resting place of the Nádasdy and Drašković
House of Draškovic
The House of Drašković, also spelled Draskovich in English, is one of the oldest Croatian noble families, originally descended from lower-rank nobility of the Lika region.There are no reliable data on them before the 15th century...
families. The crypt contains red marble tombs belonging to the Nádasdy family, the sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
of Franz III. Nádasdy, and an unusual piece of artwork, a black Madonna
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
on the altar. Several Augustinians are also buried in the crypt.
Grounds
An adjoining former monastery was home to 12 monks. After its closure, one wing served as accommodation for local nobility while the other was used for administrative purposes.Events
In recent years, the church has been one of the venues for the annual Lockenhaus Chamber Music FestivalLockenhaus Chamber Music Festival
The Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival is an annual chamber music festival located in the Austrian state of Burgenland. It is held at three venues in Lockenhaus: Burg Lockenhaus castle, Church of St. Nikolaus, and the old monastery of Lockenhaus...
. The church concert series "Musica Sacra Lockenhaus" was founded in 1998.
External links
- Hl. Nikolaus Kirche stnicholascenter.org
- Pfarrkirche und Kloster / Kirche zum Hl. Nikolaus Lockenhaus
- Lockenhaus: Kath. Pfarrkirche und Kloster austriasites.com