Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence and St. Stephen
Innsbruck, municipal district Wilten, Tyrol, Austria
1651–1667: new Baroque building; 1713–1719: façade; 1702/03: stuccowork; 1702–1707: ceiling paintings; 1665: altars (1767/68 altered)
Architecture: Christoph Gumpp the younger (1600–1672), Georg Anton Gumpp (1682–1754); stuccowork: Bernardo Pasquale [n.d.]; frescos: Kaspar Waldmann (1657–1720); sculptural work: Nikolaus Moll (1676–1754), Josef Stapf [n.d.], Ferdinand Fries [n.d.]; ciborium: Paul Huber [n.d.]; altarpiece design: Johann (Hans) Paul Schor (1615–1674) and Egid Schor (1627–1701); altarpiece: Egid Schor
Ecclesiastical architecture (monastery church)
Premonstratensian Foundation Wilten
According to records the first church in Wilten dedicated to St. Lawrence dates back to the 6th century. According to legend the monastery was founded in 878 by the giant Haymon. Conferred on the Premonstratensians in 1138, consecration of the collegiate church took place in 1201. Rebuilt in 1288 following a fire, the collapse of a tower in 1644, which severely damaged the church, resulted in the new Baroque building (1651–77). The façade as well as the frescos and stucco ornamentation originate from the early 18th century, further modifications took place in the mid-, i.e. second half of the 18th century. From 1946 to 1956 restoration work repaired war damage from 1944.
The building is composed of three nave and two choir bays without transept. The space’s uniform appearance is largely due to the barrel vault extending along its entire length and the uniform sequence of aisles. Here, drawing on early North Alpine Jesuit buildings, the Italian scheme of a hall with side aisles has been executed in the form of a pilaster construction. During the course of the stuccowork the entablature, which originally extended over the side chapels, was restricted to the choir-loft parapets. Above this transverse, barrels cut into the main vault. As a result of the choir lofts at entablature height the interior still echoes with the closed atmosphere of an Italian-style hall with side aisles. Although the interior design originates from two phases, the overall impression is one of great uniformity.
View Short DescriptionThe Wilten collegiate church is one of the first large longitudinal buildings built in the German-speaking region following the Thirty Years’ War. Although the architecture and fittings originate from two different periods, the interior presents a uniform appearance. The strict sequence of altars from the first Early Baroque period of interior design work, framed in gold and black, contrast with the fresco panels from the second phase with their bold colours, framed by heavy Italian ceiling stucco.
Archives
Exterior, west side
1651–1667 and 1713–1719
Christoph Gumpp the younger (1600–1672); Georg Anton Gumpp (1682–1754); Nikolaus Moll (1676–1754)
Of Christoph Gumpp’s plans for a double-tower façade only the north tower was completed by 1667. The forebuilding in the form of a monumental portico was completed by Gumpp’s grandson, Georg Anton, under Abbot Gregor von Stremer. This High Baroque forebuilding of Roman monumentality opens at its centre to form a large niche framed by an aedicule. The statues of the legendary giants Haymon and Thyrsus, as well as the figures from the upper balustrade, are early, somewhat crude works from Nikolaus Moll.
Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence and St. Stephen
1651–1707
Christoph Gumpp the younger (1600–1672); Bernardo Pasquale [n.d.]; Kaspar Waldmann (1657–1720)
The spatial image, dominated by the Early Baroque fittings, is divided into two zones, a lower with side chapels and altars and an upper with choir lofts and vault, which are characterised by the bold, heavy stucco and the colourful fresco panels. The altars are arranged according to the strict Early Baroque aedicula scheme and are all framed in black and gold. The high altar with its triumphal altar crown forms the connection between the two zones. The indirect light falling on chapels and choir lofts plays a decisive role in generating the atmosphere of a scared theatre.
East wall of the choir, Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence and St. Stephen
1662–1665: ciborium; 1671: altar painting; 1768: modification of the mensa/statues
Paul Huber [n.d.]; Josef Stapf [n.d.], Ferdinand Fries [n.d.]; Johann (Hans) Schor (1615–1674); Egid Schor (1627–1701)
The high altar with a height of almost 19 metres forms the focal point of the prospect which opens up when entering the church. As in a processional way, the sequence of altars leads to this central point. The altarpiece shows Mary as the Queen of the Rosary with the church’s two patrons. A special feature of the altar is the altar crown, a stage-like, perspectively designed Solomonic lion’s throne on which Christ is seated: “Ecce plus quam Salomon hic” (See more than Solomon). The statues (St. Augustine, Norbert as well as Vigilius and Cassian) were modified by Josef Stapf in 1768.
Nave vault
1702–1707
Kaspar Waldmann; Bernardo Pasquale
The High Baroque interior work significantly changed the original spatial impression. In the vault the bay borders were masked with overlapping stucco and the introduction of colourful ceiling pictures in small panels provided a contrast to the Early Baroque colour scheme of white, gold and black. The vault’s heavenly zone is characterised by stucco putti, garlands of fruit and acanthus vine, the series of pictures depict, amongst other things, scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary (choir) and the Church patrons (nave).
Vault of the choir
1702–1707
Bernardo Pasquale [n.d.]; Kaspar Waldmann (1657–1720)
The scene depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary with its plethora of figures was executed with little regard to viewing from below. Within a quatrefoil-shaped frame a series of picture levels are differentiated, ascending in sequence to the holy spirit in the form of a dove in an aureole, however this would also be clear when viewed frontally. In this case no effort has been made to create an impression of space or an imaginary heavenly opening when viewed from below using exaggerated perspective effects. Instead, traditional pictorial techniques have been employed.
Frodl-Kraft, E., Tiroler Barockkirchen, Innsbruck 1955, p. 31f.
850 Jahre Prämonstratenser Chorherrenstift Wilten 1138–1988 (commemorative edition), Innsbruck 1988.
Skalecki, G., Deutsche Architektur zur Zeit des Dreißigjährigen Krieges, Regensburg 1989, p. 121f.
Schomers, F. N., Prämonstratenser-Chorherrenstift Wilten in Innsbruck, Passau 2009 (= Peda-Kunstführer No. 735).
Frank Purrmann "Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence and St. Stephen" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;at;Mon11;8;en
MWNF Working Number: AT 08
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