Basilika St. Michael

The Basilica of St Michael is visible from afar and is known beyond the borders of the Mondsee region.

Guests from different countries come to visit her every day. Many of them want to see the location for the wedding ceremony in the film "Sound of Music". For other guests, the works of Meinrad Guggenbichler, who lived in Mondsee from 1678 to 1723 and had his workshop here, are a priority. Since the renovation, the redesign of the chancel by the South Tyrolean artist Lois Anvidalfarei is well worth seeing. Recently, many pilgrims have been coming here to see the copy of the Altötting Madonna, which has been housed in the basilica since 2013.

There are several publications about the church and its works of art. This essay is about the significance of the time-honoured former monastery for the region. The entire region was cultivated, Christianised and developed from Mondsee Monastery - officially founded in 748. When the Benedictine abbey was abolished in 1791, the church became a parish church. Previously, there was the parish church of St Stephen with a cemetery in today's Karlsgarten next to the monastery church. This was auctioned off in 1789 and demolished in 1791.

"In 1963, the north tower had to be demolished as it had begun to lean to the NW and was threatening to collapse." 1)

In a decree dated 5 February 2005, Pope John Paul II elevated the Mondsee parish church to Basilica Minor. In the same year, a three-year church interior renovation began. This included a thorough inspection and conservation of all altars, paintings, floors in the chancels and banners. The South Tyrolean sculptor Lois Anvidalfarei was responsible for the design of the chancel with altar, ambo and chair. In autumn 2008, the parish celebrated the completion of the renovation work and the consecration of the new altar.2)

The basilica provides the space for large religious celebrations. Parish administrator Reinhard Bell, the volunteers and a large group of altar servers, the  church choir under the expert direction of Kapellmeister Norbert Brandauer,  the choir under the direction of Holzer-Graf and many different music groups and choirs from the region ensure that the church services are first-class and varied. St Michael's Basilica is also a stopover on the Via Nova pilgrimage route or simply a place for quiet contemplation and personal prayer in the Marienkapelle or Petruskapelle chapel.
 
1) Kunze, p. 39 f.
2) cf. www.pfarre-mondsee.com