Abbey of St. Florian, Linz
The Abbey of St. Florian (German: Stift St. Florian), the largest in Upper Austria, is an outstanding example of Baroque architecture.
Augustinians have occupied this site since the 11th century, but the Baroque structures that stand today were built between 1686 and 1751.
St. Florian was a Christian martyr who was drowned in the Enns River around 304 AD. He is often called upon by the faithful to protect their homes against flood and fire. The abbey was constructed over his grave. Ceiling frescoes in the church show St. Florian being flagellated, beaten, thrown into the river Enns, then assumed in heaven where he is glorified as patron against fire and flood.
The greatest composer of church music in 19th-century Austria, Anton Bruckner (1824-96), became the organist at St. Florian as a young man and composed many of his masterpieces here. Although he went on to greater fame in Vienna, he was granted his wish and buried at the abbey church underneath the organ he loved so dearly. You can visit the crypt (see below) as well as the room where the composer lived for about a decade.
The western exterior of the abbey is crowned with a trio of towers. The doorway is especially striking. As you enter the inner court, you'll see the Fountain of the Eagle. In the library, which contains some 140,000 books and manuscripts, are allegorical ceiling frescoes by Bartolomeo Altomonte.
The marble salon honors Prince Eugene of Savoy for his heroic defense of Vienna against a major siege by the Turks. The ceiling paintings here depict the Austrian victory over the "infidels."
The Altdorfer Gallery is the most outstanding part of the abbey. Well-known works by Albrecht Altdorfer, a 16th-century master of the Danube school of painting, are displayed. Altdorfer was a contemporary of Dürer, to whom he is often compared. He painted more than a dozen panels for the abbey's Gothic church, depicting, among other scenes, the martyrdom of St. Sebastian.
The Imperial Apartments, the Kaiserzimmer, are reached by climbing a splendid staircase. Pope Pius VI once stayed here, and a whole host of royalty have occupied these richly decorated quarters. You're allowed to visit the bedrooms of the emperors and empresses.
The abbey church has twin towers reaching 79m (260 ft.). The church is distinguished by columns of pink marble, quarried near Salzburg. Lavish stucco decoration was used in the interior, and the pulpit is in black marble. The choir stalls are heavily gilded and adorned with ornamentation and carving.
In the church crypt are tombstones dating from the Gothic period, the largest of which is that of abbot Peter Maurer (d. 1525). Remnants of walls from the time of the Romans and the foundations of the Gothic church can be seen. In the niches coffins of abbots are exposed.
Underneath the great organ there is the simple tomb of Anton Bruckner. In the background are the bones of 6000 people, discovered in 1291. They are said to be remnants of Christians who had been buried there since the time of the Romans.
Quick Facts
| Location: | Stiftstrasse 1, St. Florian; 19km (12 miles) SE of Linz, Austria |
| Phone: | 07224/89020 |
| Bus: | 2040 and 2042 run throughout the day from Linz to St. Florian |
| Autobahn: | St. Florian |
| Cost: | Church free; abbey tours 5€ for adults and 1.30€ for children |
| Tours: | Tours are conducted April through October daily at 10 and 11am and at 2, 3, and 4pm. Outside of these hours, write to the abbey for permission to visit. |
- Stift St. Florian - Official Website (with English version)
- The Abbey of St. Florian – Tribute to Anton Bruckner
