Pfarr- und Wallfahrtskirche Mariabrunn, Penzing, Catholic pilgrimage church in Penzing, Austria.
Pfarr- und Wallfahrtskirche Mariabrunn is a baroque Catholic pilgrimage church in Hadersdorf, part of Vienna's 14th district, Penzing, connected to the former Mariabrunn monastery. The church is a hall building with side chapels and a porch with an organ gallery. Its single tall campanile shows the characteristic facade design of architect Filiberto Lucchese, who is now considered responsible for the construction.
The site's origins trace back to the discovery of a statue of Mary near a water source, which drew pilgrims and gave rise to a place of worship here. Over the following centuries, the original chapel was replaced by the current baroque church, which became part of a monastery complex.
The name Mariabrunn comes from the legend of the spring where Queen Gisela found the Marian statue in 1042. The feast of the Visitation is celebrated on 2 July. The statue venerated today at the high altar dates from the first half of the 16th century, and a copy of it stands on the fountain on the church square, which bears an inscription recalling Gisela and Maximilian.
The church is open to visitors outside of services and during them, so the experience can vary depending on when you arrive. The grounds of the monastery complex also have outdoor areas worth walking through before or after entering the church.
The fountain on the church square is crowned by a copy of the Marian statue; its inscription records that the grace image was found there by Queen Gisela in 1042 and raised by Archduke Maximilian in 1490. The venerated original, dating from the first half of the 16th century, now stands on the high altar.
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