ST. EUSTACHE - PARIS, FRANCE

ST. EUSTACHE IN PARIS WAS BUILT BETWEN 1532-1637.  IT IS LOCATED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ANCIENT PARIS MARKET, LES HALLES.  ST. EUSTACHE IS NAMED FOR A ROMAN GENERAL OF THE 2ND CENTURY AD WHO WAS BURNED, ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY, FOR CONVERTING TO CHRISTIANITY.  

DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION THE CHURCH WAS DESECRATED AND LOOTED AND EVEN USED AS A BARN.  THE ORIGINAL DUCROQUET CONSTRUCTED ORGAN WITH 8,000 PIPES WAS REPUTED TO BE THE LARGEST IN FRANCE.  THE CURRENT ORGAN WAS BUILT IN 1989 AND THEY KEPT A FEW RANKS OF PIPES FROM THE ORIGINAL.

LOUIS XIV RECEIVED COMMUNION HERE AND MOZART CHOSE THE SANCTUARY  FOR HIS MOTHER'S FUNERAL.  THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS WERE DESIGNED BY SOULIGNAC IN 1632.  

HALLSTATT, AUSTRIA

Hallstatt, Austria is a great little town right on the banks of Hallstatter See.  Mountains rise straight up from the water giving a feeling of protection.  The town dates back to prehistoric times when the salt mines were first begun.  The salt mines still operate today albeit in less substantial way.  Now the town relies on tourism for its existence.   

One of the churches in town is the small Catholic parish church.  Originally built in 1181 the church that exists today was completed in 1505.   Shortly after this time the push and shove between Catholic and Protestant began and this church became Protestant.   I am not sure when, but at some point it seems to have reverted back to a Catholic Parish.  It was renovated just 10 years ago.  

The rocky land near the church became the church cemetery.   There are no family graves here, and a grave can be reoccupied after 10 years.  

FOR A SMALL CHURCH THIS PLACE HAS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.   THERE IS A STORY HERE AS WELL.   THIS IS THE CRYPT OF A MAN WHO DIED IN THE 18TH CENTURY.   THE STORY IS THAT THIS MAN REQUESTED THAT EVERY 50 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH HIS COFFIN BE BROUGHT ACROSS THE LAKE AND PLACED IN THE CHURCH.   SO FAR, THEY HAVE FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS.   I THINK THE WHOLE TOWN PARTICIPATES.

Next to the church is a very small chapel.  This is the Beinhaus (Bone House).  It dates back to the 12th Century AC.  There are over 1200 skulls here, 610 of them have been painted with flowers and neatly stacked.   The cemetery is so small and there was no room for expansion they would take the bones after 10-15 years and clean them and set them out in the sun to bleach.   Then relatives of the dead would decorate the skulls if they wished.   This tradition dates back to 1720 and the last skull to be added was in 1995.  It sits right next to the cross; the woman died in 1983 and her last request was to be placed in the Beinhaus.  

ST. SEBALDUS CHURCH, NUREMBURG

ST. SEBALDUS CHURCH IS IN NUREMBURG.  CONSTRUCTION ON THE CHURCH BEGAN IN 1225 AND WAS FINALLY FINISHED IN 1275.  IT IS BUILT IN THE ROMANESQUE STYLE OF THE TIME. HOWEVER, MANY OF THE TYPICAL ROMANESQUE CHARACTERISTICS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION CHANGES TAKING PLACE OVER THE NEXT 200 YEARS; AISLES WERE WIDENED, STEEPLES WERE MADE HIGHER, THE GOTHIC HALL CHANCEL WAS BUILT.   THE CHURCH WAS DAMAGED SEVERELY DURING WORLD WAR II.   MUCH OF THE INTERIOR WAS LOST BUT AMAZINGLY MANY OF THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS SURVIVED.  

144 FEET HIGH AND 285 FEET LONG

AFTER BOMBING IN 1945

THE SHRINE OF ST. SEBALD; DATED 1519.

AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II

HEIGHT OF THE TOWERS IS  246 FEET

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

SALZBURG CATHEDRAL IS AN IMPRESSIVE BUILDING EVEN AMONG THE BEAUTIFUL OLD TOWN SECTION OF THE CITY.  BUILT IN 1628 IN ONLY 15 YEARS.  MOZART WAS BAPTIZED IN THIS CHURCH.  HE WAS ALSO THE ORGANIST HERE BETWEEN 1779 - 1781.  DECORATED IN TYPICAL OVER-THE-TOP BAROQUE STYLE.  THE ORGAN IS HUGE WITH 4,000 PIPES.  

WE ALSO SAW SOME OF THE SMALLER CHURCHES OF SALZBURG.    THE ABBEY CHURCH OF ST. PETER.  THIS CHURCH IS ALSO MADE IN THE BAROQUE STYLE.   AND MOZART ALSO PLAYED THE ORGAN HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS.  HE ALSO DEBUTED HIS MASS IN C MINOR AT ST. PETER'S IN 1783.   NEXT DOOR TO THE CHURCH IS THE ABBEY'S LEGENDARY WEINKELLER RESTAURANT.  IT WAS FOUNDED A THOUSAND YEARS AGO BY THE ABBEY'S  MONKS.  WE HAD A DELICIOUS AUSTRIAN MEAL THERE ONE EVENING.

ST. PETER'S CHURCH

ST. PETER'S ABBEY

ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, SHOWN BELOW, IS LOCATED WITHIN THE SALZBURG FORTRESS WALLS.