Mariatrost Basilica

The baroque Mariatrost Basilica on top of the Purberg hill in Graz-Mariatrost is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of Styria / Austria.

Description

The pilgrimage church prominently stands at the top of Purberg hill (469 m) in the northeast of Graz. It can be reached using the 216 steps of the Angelus stair. The Basilica is classified as a baroque building. Two front towers (61 m) and a dome are the far visible characteristic attributes of this cross dome church. It is inclosed by a former Pauline Fathers (1708–86) and later Franciscan (1842–1996) monastery.

History

The building was initiated in 1714 by Andreas Stengg and his son Johann Georg Stengg and the structure was finished in 1724. The pulpit by Veit Königer (1730/31) is the master stroke of the furnishings. The frescoes at the ceiling from Lukas von Schram and Johann Baptist Scheidt are particularly remarkable.

The main altar includes a Madonna statue originally from the Gothic period around 1465, but changed to Baroque in 1695 by Bernhard Echter.

At 28 October 1999 the church was nominated as a Basilica minor.

The Mariatrost Basilica is the second most important Marian Shrine of Styria behind Mariazell Basilica.

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