Votivkirche (Votive Church)
The Votivkirche (Votive Church) is widely considered one of the most significant neo-Gothic religious buildings in the world. The church is located in the very city centre of Vienna across the University of Vienna and close to other city’s major sights and landmarks.
The church which is often mistaken for a real Gothic building was built between 1856 and 1879 on the site of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph. The neo-Gothic design is work of Heinrich von Ferstel who was at the time only 26 years of age. His design was inspired by Gothic French cathedrals and features all the elements of a typical Gothic cathedral: three portals with gables, archivolts and a gallery with statues above the portals, central portal twice as wide as the side portals, two slimline towers, buttresses, flying buttresses, abutments, central rose window, etc. However, unlike medieval Gothic cathedrals that were built by many architects for centuries the Votivkirche was built by a single architect in 23 years.
The Votivkirche consists of a nave and two aisles half as high and half as wide as the nave. The transept and the side chapels are as high and wide as the aisles. Like the exterior, the interior of the church is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The marble altar with a gilded retable and beautiful ciborium inspired by Italian Gothic ciborium is the highlight of the interior. The hexagonal pulpit supported by six marble pillars is decorated by half-reliefs with a gilded mosaic background depicting preaching Jesus in the middle flanked by Fathers of the Church - St. Augustine, St. Gregory, St. Jerome and St. Ambrose on both sides. Under the pulpit is a portrait of Heinrich von Ferstel by Victor Tilgner.