!!!Seckau

Seckau, northern Styria, alt. 842 m, pop. 1,377, area 
6.29 km%%sup 2/%, market town (since 1273) and tourist resort at 
the southern foot of the Seckau Alps, in a northern lateral valley of 
the Mur Valley. - Boarding school of the Benedictine Abbey, 
wood-burning district heating, businesses run by the Abbey, popular as 
a tourist destination during summer (14,214 overnight stays in 1992) 
and for day-trips. The Benedictine Abbey was originally founded as a 
monastery of Augustinian Canons Regular in 1140 (at first in Sankt 
Marein bei Knittelfeld, in Seckau since 1142), it was closed in 1782 
and re-opened by Benedictine monks in 1883 (closed again 1940-1945). 
From 1218-1782 Seckau was a bishop´s seat ( Diocese), when the 
bishopric was transferred to Graz. - Three-nave Romanesque basilica 
(started around 1143, consecrated in 1164, south tower from the 
12%%sup th/%  century); the building has been largely preserved and 
was restored after a fire in 1259, antechurch (13%%sup th/%  century), 
construction of vaulted roofs on the naves in the 14%%sup th/%  
-15%%sup th/%  centuries, 1891-1893 neo-Romanesque reconstruction of 
the west façade and the towers, 1964 redecoration of the 
chancel by C. Holzmeister, high altar (1964) with monumental 
Romanesque crucifixion group, fresco cycle (around 1270-1280); 
enlarged with chapels: Bishop´s Chapel (graves of the bishops of 
Seckau since 1595) with Gothic altar of the Coronation of Our Lady 
(consecrated in 1489), Lady Chapel (1885) with alabaster relief 
(around 1200), Gothic stained glass windows and gravestones decorated 
with reliefs, Angel Chapel with frescoes by H. Boeckl (1952-1960, with 
scenes taken from the Revelation of St. John the Divine), one of 
Austria´s most important works of sacred art after 1945; the 
mausoleum of Archduke Karl II (with frescoes and marble cenotaph) 
by A. de Verda was a masterpiece of early Baroque art at the court in 
Graz (1587-1611), interior decoration by S. Carlone; along with 
Karl II eight other Habsburgs are buried here. The abbey building 
(Baroque reconstruction starting from 1587 and esp. 1619-1657) is a 
four-wing complex with corner towers, courtyard with Tuscan pier 
arcades, defensive wall, Kaisersaal (emperor´s hall) and library 
with rich stucco ceilings (around 1660), wooden coffered ceiling in 
the "Black Hall"; abbey museum (art objects, coins); Chapel 
of St. Lucia with late-Gothic frescoes (1501) in the centre of Seckau; 
column dedicated to the Virgin Mary (around 1720).

!Literature
B. Roth, Seckau Geschichte und Kultur. 1164-1964, 1964; 
idem, Benediktinerabtei Seckau, 1976; periodical: Seckauer 
geschichtliche Studien.


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