St. Michael’s Parish Church

Architectural History

The oldest remains of the parish church date back to a Romanesque building dedicated to Saint Michael in 1038, which in the late 15th century was integrated in the newer Gothic building. Redesigned in a Baroque manner some 250 years later, it is only the famous wooden sculpture on the left side altar that survives from the formerly Gothic interior: it shows Simon of Cyrene about to take up the cross and help Jesus carry it.

Changing importance

While formerly a mere cemetery church, it was already in the 13th century that St. Michael’s became the parish church of Brixen and the district that included the villages of Vahrn, Schalders, Tils and Tschötsch, when bishop Bruno made it part of the cathedral chapter. With the cathedral as the church of the bishop and the diocese, St. Michael’s represented the parish and its district, thus becoming the common church of the citizens.

A look at its interior

The parish church boasts many sights, among which the baroque organ, the painting of St. Michael fighting the Devil and the angel statues by the renowned sculptor Johann Perger next to the main altar stand out. Most famous however are the ceiling frescoes by Josef Hautzinger, Troger’s apprentice, which are dedicated to the archangels: patron saint Michael is shown in the first bay of the nave; the second and third bays are illustrated with the scene of Archangel Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary and Archangel Raphael guiding Tobias. The choir area is embellished with a choir of angels worshipping the Holy Trinity. Among the angels you can see Brixen’s patron saint Cassian, Saint Florian, patron saint of fire fighters as well as Saint John of Nepomuk, patron saint against floods. The fake dome above the minstrels’ gallery takes its inspiration from Troger’s crossing dome in the cathedral before it was replaced in the 19th century.

Interesting details

St. Michael’s has been a parish church since the 13th century. However, the coat of arms of the diocese and prince-bishop Melchior von Meckau (1440-1509) to the right of the baroque entrance prove the prevailing power of the bishop ever since it was built. The parish of St. Michael is known to have conducted the first census in the year 1570 and has since kept close record of all births, weddings and deaths in the parish.

18.06.2017