Millstatt
Encyclopedia
Millstatt is a market town
in Carinthia
, Austria
. Within the Central Eastern Alps
it is situated on a peninsula on the northern shore of the Lake Millstatt
, in the district of Spittal an der Drau
.
The traditional health resort and spa town
is known for its former Benedictine abbey
, founded about 1070. The municipality of Millstatt also contains the Katastralgemeinden Obermillstatt
, Matzelsdorf and Laubendorf.
, the name "Millstatt" may refer to the Celtic
expression "mils" meaning mountain stream or brook. The Celt
s entered this region from the 5th century BC onwards, their kingdom Noricum
came under control of the Roman Empire
in 16 BC. During the Migration Period
in the 6th century Slavic
tribes settled here in the principality of Carantania, which became a march
of Bavaria
and the Frankish Empire
in the late 8th century. According to legend, a Carantanian duke Domitian († 802?) converted to Christianity and built the first church of Millstatt. He also had one thousand statues of pagan
gods ("mille statuae", see the coat of arms) gathered and thrown into the lake.
About 1070 the Bavarian Count Palatine
Aribo II
and his brother Poto established Millstatt Abbey
, a Benedictine monastery, in Millstatt including a donation of extensive landed property around the lake and estates in Salzburg
and Friuli
. Although no document is saved the first monks probably descended from Hirsau Abbey
. While the Counts of Gorizia
, Ortenburg
and Cilli
held the office of a Vogt
protector the monastic community included up to 150 brothers, who made Millstatt a cultural centre of Upper Carinthia and left a famous codex
- the Millstatt manuscript - in Middle High German
language from around 1200. The decline of the monastery in consequence of economic and disciplinary difficulties led to its abolition by Pope Paul II
in 1469.
Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg
, by this time Vogt of Millstatt, had urged on this decision for the sake of his foundation of the knightly order
of St. George
to which he handed over the monastery and its estates on 14 May 1469. The order was meant to serve as a protector against the increasing attacks of the Ottoman Empire
, but the very few knights did not succeed and the area was devastated by the Turks several times between 1473 and 1483. After the death of Emperor Maximilian I
in 1519 the disbandment of the order began until its final abolition in 1598.
Meanwhile the Reformation
had spread throughout Carinthia and the majority of the population had turned Protestant
. Ferdinand II
of Habsburg, regent of Inner Austria
and later Holy Roman Emperor intended to exterminate Protestantism in his hereditary lands and therefore furnished the Graz
Jesuit
College with the benefit of the Millstatt monastery. From 1598 onwards the Jesuits pushed the Counter-Reformation
by convincing as well as forcing the local inhabitants to return to the Catholic
belief. The history of the monastery came to an end, when the Jesuit order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV
in 1773.
Afterwards Millstatt fell into meaninglessness until from about 1870 forth it developed to a fashionable summer resort for the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
.
towers situated between the former knightly palace of the order of St. George finished in 1499 and the monastery church at the highest point in the north.
The building, now parish church of Christ the Savior
and All Saints
, was erected in the second quarter of the 12th century. It replaced an earlier church from the days of the Carolingian
dynasty, of which some cut stone slabs remained in secondary utilization. The westwork
with the characteristic twin steeples was attached between 1166 and 1177, the Baroque
onion domes about 1670. Underneath the towers the entrance hall has a Romanesque
rib vault
and a fresco
from 1428 showing the Passion of Christ
. Seven arches form the Romanesque portal
from about 1170 with a manifold figurative decoration. The nave
itself is a Romanesque basilica, while on several piers
are frescoes from about 1430 and the Gothic
apse
as well as the lierne vault
with 149 coats of arms date from 1516. The Baroque high altar
was manufactured under the Jesuits in 1648, put on the wall to the right is now a large fresco of the Last Judgement from about 1515, which had to be removed from its original place on the outside wall of the westwork. Two chapel
s at the north and at the south side with the tombstones
of the first two Grand Masters
of the order of St. George were added between 1490 and 1505.
In the Romanesque cloister
south of the church the capitals
of some columns date back to the 12th century. It was furnished with a Late Gothic groin vault
and frescoes of the Madonna
about 1500. The Renaissance monastery buildings with their arcades
are situated to the west and the south of the courtyard. From the abbey leads a Way of the Cross
up to the Baroque chapel of Calvary hill
, a heritage of the Jesuits as well as, in the east of the town, the High Cross monument from the 18th century.
The parish church St. Johann Baptist
of Obermillstatt ("Upper Millstatt") was already mentioned in 1205, though the nowadays building has been erected under the Jesuit rule in 1614. Its Baroque furnishing includes a square groin vault apse and a high altar from around 1720. Situated on a slope above the village, the church can be widely seen by its massive tower with the big onion dome.
Up in Matzelsdorf is the small pilgrimage
church Maria Schnee (Our Lady of the Snows
), which was first mentioned in 1177. The small but richly decorated nave has a Late Gothic lierne vault from the 16th century and Baroque frescoes of the Madonna from about 1716. The retable
of the altar with a carving work of the coronation of Mary
probably originates from around 1500.
Near Laubendorf is the foundation
of a small Early Christian
church from the 5th century, which has been preserved in quite good condition. In the place of the altar is a former reliquary
, covered by a Roman tombstone. The church probably was built as a refuge for the diocese of nearby Tiburnia
in the days of the Decline of the Roman Empire
. It finally was abandoned around 600 when the Slavic Carantanians entered the region.
s of the Millstatt manuscript. The collection also includes a Romanesque shrine
from about 1140, a dungeon
from the 16th century and a Renaissance chest
from the studio of Andrea Mantegna
. The cassone
once was part of the dowry
of Paola Gonzaga
, the daughter of Ludovico II of Gonzaga
and deceased wife of Count Leonhard of Gorizia
, who bequested it to the Order of St. George in 1495.
Since 1981 the "Millstatt Symposium", an academic conference
, takes place every year, where researchers discuss different subjects concerning the history of Millstatt and Carinthia.
In summer the "Musikwochen Millstatt" (Millstatt Music Weeks) festival performs various concerts in and around the monastery church including sacred music
, choral and classical works as well as jazz, chamber music, piano and organ recitals.
, Germany
, since 1974 Wendlingen
, Germany, since 1992 San Daniele del Friuli
, Italy
, since 1993
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, 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...
. Within the Central Eastern Alps
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
it is situated on a peninsula on the northern shore of the Lake Millstatt
Millstätter See
-General facts:Lake Millstatt is situated in the Central Eastern Alps, near the town of Spittal an der Drau. With a surface area of it is the second largest lake of Carinthia , though with by far the deepest and most voluminous. Its steep shore gives the lake a fjord-like character...
, in the district of Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau (district)
The Bezirk Spittal an der Drau is an administrative district in Carinthia, Austria.Area of the district is 2,763.99 km², population is 81,719 , and population density 30 persons per km². It is Austria's second largest district by area...
.
The traditional health resort and spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
is known for its former Benedictine abbey
Millstatt Abbey
Millstatt Abbey is a former monastery at Millstatt in the Austrian state of Carinthia, which was established about 1070 and finally abolished in 1773....
, founded about 1070. The municipality of Millstatt also contains the Katastralgemeinden Obermillstatt
Obermillstatt
Obermillstatt is a village and a cadastral subdivision of municipality Millstatt in the district of Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia in Austria / EU...
, Matzelsdorf and Laubendorf.
History
While the oldest archaeological artifacts found in the area date back to the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, the name "Millstatt" may refer to the Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
expression "mils" meaning mountain stream or brook. The Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s entered this region from the 5th century BC onwards, their kingdom Noricum
Noricum
Noricum, in ancient geography, was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and a part of Slovenia. It became a province of the Roman Empire...
came under control of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 16 BC. During the Migration Period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
in the 6th century Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
tribes settled here in the principality of Carantania, which became a march
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and the Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
in the late 8th century. According to legend, a Carantanian duke Domitian († 802?) converted to Christianity and built the first church of Millstatt. He also had one thousand statues of pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
gods ("mille statuae", see the coat of arms) gathered and thrown into the lake.
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
Aribo II
Aribonids
The Aribonids were a noble family of probably Bavarian origin who rose to preeminence in the March of Pannonia in the late ninth and early tenth centuries...
and his brother Poto established Millstatt Abbey
Millstatt Abbey
Millstatt Abbey is a former monastery at Millstatt in the Austrian state of Carinthia, which was established about 1070 and finally abolished in 1773....
, a Benedictine monastery, in Millstatt including a donation of extensive landed property around the lake and estates in Salzburg
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
and Friuli
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
. Although no document is saved the first monks probably descended from Hirsau Abbey
Hirsau Abbey
Hirsau Abbey, formerly known as Hirschau Abbey, was once one of the most prominent Benedictine abbeys of Germany. It was located in the town of Hirsau, in the Diocese of Speyer, near Calw in the present Baden-Württemberg.-History:...
. While the Counts of Gorizia
County of Gorizia
The County of Görz was a county based around the town of Gorizia in the present-day Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy.Count Meinhard, descendant of the Bavarian Meinhardiner noble family with possessions around Lienz in Tyrol, is mentioned as early as 1107...
, Ortenburg
Grafschaft Ortenburg
The Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
and Cilli
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
held the office of a Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
protector the monastic community included up to 150 brothers, who made Millstatt a cultural centre of Upper Carinthia and left a famous codex
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
- the Millstatt manuscript - in Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
language from around 1200. The decline of the monastery in consequence of economic and disciplinary difficulties led to its abolition by Pope Paul II
Pope Paul II
Pope Paul II , born Pietro Barbo, was pope from 1464 until his death in 1471.- Early life :He was born in Venice, and was a nephew of Pope Eugene IV , through his mother. His adoption of the spiritual career, after having been trained as a merchant, was prompted by his uncle's election as pope...
in 1469.
Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
, by this time Vogt of Millstatt, had urged on this decision for the sake of his foundation of the knightly order
Military order
A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
of St. George
Knights of St. George
Knights of St. George may refer to:* Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, a Roman Catholic order legendarily founded by Constantine the Great...
to which he handed over the monastery and its estates on 14 May 1469. The order was meant to serve as a protector against the increasing attacks of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, but the very few knights did not succeed and the area was devastated by the Turks several times between 1473 and 1483. After the death of Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
in 1519 the disbandment of the order began until its final abolition in 1598.
Meanwhile the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
had spread throughout Carinthia and the majority of the population had turned Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
of Habsburg, regent of Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
and later Holy Roman Emperor intended to exterminate Protestantism in his hereditary lands and therefore furnished the Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
College with the benefit of the Millstatt monastery. From 1598 onwards the Jesuits pushed the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
by convincing as well as forcing the local inhabitants to return to the Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
belief. The history of the monastery came to an end, when the Jesuit order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
in 1773.
Afterwards Millstatt fell into meaninglessness until from about 1870 forth it developed to a fashionable summer resort for the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
.
Sights
Beneath the market stand the extensive buildings of the former Benedictine monastery with its four massive RenaissanceRenaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
towers situated between the former knightly palace of the order of St. George finished in 1499 and the monastery church at the highest point in the north.
The building, now parish church of Christ the Savior
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
, was erected in the second quarter of the 12th century. It replaced an earlier church from the days of the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
dynasty, of which some cut stone slabs remained in secondary utilization. The westwork
Westwork
A westwork is the monumental, west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior includes an entrance vestibule, a chapel, and a series of galleries overlooking the nave...
with the characteristic twin steeples was attached between 1166 and 1177, the Baroque
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...
onion domes about 1670. Underneath the towers the entrance hall has a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
rib vault
Rib vault
The intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
and a fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
from 1428 showing the Passion of Christ
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
. Seven arches form the Romanesque portal
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
from about 1170 with a manifold figurative decoration. 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...
itself is a Romanesque basilica, while on several piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
are frescoes from about 1430 and the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
as well as the lierne vault
Lierne (vault)
A Lierne in Gothic rib vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss...
with 149 coats of arms date from 1516. The Baroque high altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
was manufactured under the Jesuits in 1648, put on the wall to the right is now a large fresco of the Last Judgement from about 1515, which had to be removed from its original place on the outside wall of the westwork. Two chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s at the north and at the south side with the tombstones
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
of the first two Grand Masters
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the order of St. George were added between 1490 and 1505.
In the Romanesque cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
south of the church the capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
of some columns date back to the 12th century. It was furnished with a Late Gothic groin vault
Groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
and frescoes of the 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...
about 1500. The Renaissance monastery buildings with their arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
are situated to the west and the south of the courtyard. From the abbey leads a Way of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
up to the Baroque chapel of Calvary hill
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
, a heritage of the Jesuits as well as, in the east of the town, the High Cross monument from the 18th century.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
of Obermillstatt ("Upper Millstatt") was already mentioned in 1205, though the nowadays building has been erected under the Jesuit rule in 1614. Its Baroque furnishing includes a square groin vault apse and a high altar from around 1720. Situated on a slope above the village, the church can be widely seen by its massive tower with the big onion dome.
Up in Matzelsdorf is the small pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
church Maria Schnee (Our Lady of the Snows
Dedication of Saint Mary Major
The Dedication of Saint Mary Major, previously known as Dedicatio Sanctæ Mariæ ad Nives , is a liturgical feast day celebrated on August 5 in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. In the Roman Catholic calendar of saints it has the rank of optional memorial, and in the General Roman Calendar of...
), which was first mentioned in 1177. The small but richly decorated nave has a Late Gothic lierne vault from the 16th century and Baroque frescoes of the Madonna from about 1716. The retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
of the altar with a carving work of the coronation of Mary
Queen of Heaven
Queen of Heaven is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Christians, mainly of the Roman Catholic Church, and also, to some extent, in the Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches, to whom the title is a consequence of the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century, where the Virgin...
probably originates from around 1500.
Near Laubendorf is the foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
of a small Early Christian
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
church from the 5th century, which has been preserved in quite good condition. In the place of the altar is a former reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
, covered by a Roman tombstone. The church probably was built as a refuge for the diocese of nearby Tiburnia
Lendorf
Lendorf is a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It consists of the Katastralgemeinden Lendorf and Hühnersberg....
in the days of the Decline of the Roman Empire
Decline of the Roman Empire
The decline of the Roman Empire refers to the gradual societal collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Many theories of causality prevail, but most concern the disintegration of political, economic, military, and other social institutions, in tandem with foreign invasions and usurpers from within the...
. It finally was abandoned around 600 when the Slavic Carantanians entered the region.
Culture
The monastery museum is situated within in the cloister and presents a summary of the abbey's history and its cultural heritage, e.g. Neolithic artifacts and facsimileFacsimile
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...
s of the Millstatt manuscript. The collection also includes a Romanesque shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
from about 1140, a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
from the 16th century and a Renaissance chest
Chest (furniture)
A chest is one of the oldest forms of furniture. It is typically a rectangular structure with four walls and a liftable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided...
from the studio of Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
. The cassone
Cassone
Among furniture in Italy, a cassone or marriage chest is a rich and showy type of chest, which may be inlaid or carved, prepared with gesso ground then painted and gilded. The cassone was one of the trophy furnishings of rich merchants and aristocrats in Italian culture, from the Late Middle Ages...
once was part of the dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
of Paola Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
, the daughter of Ludovico II of Gonzaga
Ludovico II of Gonzaga
Ludovico III of Gonzaga, also spelled Lodovico was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1444 to his death in 1478.-Parents:Ludovico was the son of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and Paola Malatesta...
and deceased wife of Count Leonhard of Gorizia
Leonhard of Gorizia
Leonhard of Gorizia from the Meinhardiner dynasty was the last Count of Görz at Lienz and Gorizia from 1454 until his death....
, who bequested it to the Order of St. George in 1495.
Since 1981 the "Millstatt Symposium", an academic conference
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
, takes place every year, where researchers discuss different subjects concerning the history of Millstatt and Carinthia.
In summer the "Musikwochen Millstatt" (Millstatt Music Weeks) festival performs various concerts in and around the monastery church including sacred music
Religious music
Religious music is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence.A lot of music has been composed to complement religion, and many composers have derived inspiration from their own religion. Many forms of traditional music have been adapted to fit religions'...
, choral and classical works as well as jazz, chamber music, piano and organ recitals.
Politics
Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2009 elections:- Austrian People's PartyAustrian People's PartyThe Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP): 9 - Alliance for the Future of AustriaAlliance for the Future of AustriaThe Alliance for the Future of Austria , abbreviated to BZÖ, is a conservative liberal political party in Austria. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council....
(BZÖ): 6 - Social Democratic Party of AustriaSocial Democratic Party of AustriaThe Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
(SPÖ): 5 - NHK (IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
): 2 - Freedom Party of AustriaFreedom Party of AustriaThe Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
(FPÖ): 1
Twin towns — sister cities
Millstatt is twinned with: HeligolandHeligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 1974 Wendlingen
Wendlingen
Wendlingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated on the Neckar and Lauter rivers, 27 km southeast of Stuttgart.-International relations:...
, Germany, since 1992 San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km northwest of Udine....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1993
Notable people
- Felix von LuschanFelix von LuschanFelix Ritter von Luschan was an Austrian doctor, anthropologist, explorer, archaeologist and ethnographer.Note that the Ritter is not part of the name but a title, equivalent to the English knight or baronet.-Life:...
(1854 – 1924), anthropologist, is buried at the Millstatt churchyard.