The Vergilius Chapel is an underground 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....

 next to the Stephansdom in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. It is rectangular in form (approximately 6 meters by 10), with six niches. Today, it lies approximately 12 meters beneath the Stephansplatz

Stephansplatz, Vienna

The Stephansplatz is a square at the geographical centre of Vienna. It is named after its most prominent building, the Stephansdom, Vienna's cathedral and one of the tallest churches in the world...

.

History

The history of the chapel is not entirely clear. The architecture can be dated to the early 13th century. At this time, Frederick the Warlike

Frederick II, Duke of Austria

Frederick II, known as the Quarrelsome or the Warlike , from the House of Babenberg, was the duke of Austria and Styria from 1230 to 1246....

 (1230-1246), the last Duke of the House of Babenberg, was the ruler of Vienna. It has been hypothesized that the Duke, who would have liked to have established Vienna as an episcopal see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

, had the crypt built for St. Coloman of Stockerau

Coloman of Stockerau

Saint Coloman of Stockerau is a saint of the Catholic Church. He was a monk of either Irish or Scottish origin and of royal lineage who was accused of being a spy while on penitential pilgrimage to Jerusalem...

, who was to be the patron of the new diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

. However, the chronicles do not mention the chapel, which has given rise to the speculation that it is the remnant of a failed project.

In the year 1307, a burial chapel of the Viennese family Chrannest is mentioned. The chapel was said to have multiple altars, one of which was dedicated to St. Vergilius of Salzburg

Vergilius of Salzburg

Vergilius of Salzburg was an Irish churchman, an early astronomer and bishop of Salzburg. His obituary calls him the geometer.-Biography:...

.

In the Middle Ages, the Stephansdom was encircled by a large cemetery. A single small chapel, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...

 (the Magdalenskapelle or Magdalene Chapel), existed for consecrations and requiem

Requiem

A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...

 masses. The Virgilius Chapel lay directly underneath this chapel, and a vertical shaft connected the two buildings.

In 1732, the cemetery around the Stephansdom was closed. The Magdalene Chapel was destroyed by fire in 1781 and was not rebuilt (presumably as, without a cemetery, there was no need for a funeral chapel). The Virgilius Chapel was filled with rubble and faded into obscurity.

In 1973 the chapel was rediscovered during construction of the Vienna U-Bahn

Vienna U-Bahn

The Vienna U-Bahn is a rapid transit system consisting of five lines. It is the backbone of one of the best performing public transport systems worldwide according to UITP in June 2009. More than 1.3 million passengers use the Vienna U-Bahn every day...

. Today there is a mosaic on the Stephansplatz showing the outlines of the Virgilius Chapel. The chapel itself has survived with hardly any damage and provides the visitor with an excellent glance into the world of the Middle Ages.

Location

The Virgilius Chapel may be entered directly from the Stephansplatz U-Bahn Station

Stephansplatz (Vienna U-Bahn)

Stephansplatz is an important destination and interchange station in the Vienna U-Bahn system. It is located under the Stephansplatz and is served by the and lines.Stephansplatz station opened on 18 November 1978...

. It is possible to look into the chapel from above. A collection of historical ceramics has been installed at the entrance to the chapel itself.

External links

• Page on the Virgilkapelle at the site of the Vienna Museum
  Vienna Museum
  The Vienna Museum is a group of museums in Vienna consisting of the museums of the history of the city. In addition to the main building in Karlsplatz and the Hermesvilla, the group includes numerous specialised museums, musicians' residences and archaeological excavations.The permanent exhibit of...
  
  (in German).
• The Virgilkapelle at the spiritual travel guide, "Stationen" (in German).