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Basilica of St. Lawrence

Basilica of St. Lawrence
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The Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Lawrence, also known as St. Laurenz Basilica or Lorch Basilica, is located in Lorch, a district of the city of Enns in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It is the most important early Christian site in Austria.

The Basilica of St. Laurenz rises above the remains of Roman predecessor buildings, which were uncovered during archaeological excavations between 1960 and 1966. The oldest structure – a distinguished Roman house – dates from the 2nd century AD. Above it, an early Christian church was built in the 4th/5th century. Further alterations and extensions followed until the present Gothic-style church was erected around 1300. After the completion of archaeological research, the church was re-furnished in 1966-1968, making it one of the first churches in the country whose design was already shaped by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

Historical Significance

Lauriaca/St. Laurenz is primarily attributed historical significance in the following respects:

  • Place of activity of Saint Florian of Lorch and the Martyrs of Lorch (+304). The relics of the Martyrs of Lorch are interred in an ancient stone trough, now visible again, in the main altar of the Basilica.
  • Place of activity of Saint Severin of Noricum († 482), who, according to the testimony of the Vita Sancti Severini (Eugippius), is said to have performed the miracle of oil multiplication "in a basilica in Lauriacum".
  • Seat of the Diocese of Lauriacum: In the Vita Sancti Severini, a bishop of Lauriacum is also mentioned by name: Constantius of Lauriacum.
  • Triduum of Charlemagne (791): Before the campaign against the Avars, Charlemagne and his army hold a three-day fast in Lorch (Upper Austria).
  • Elevation to the first titular archdiocese of Central Europe (1968)
  • Elevation to a papal Basilica minor (1970)
  • Visit by Pope John Paul II (1988)
  • Elevation of Saint Florian of Lorch to patron saint of Upper Austria (2004; Florian has been diocesan patron of Linz since 1971, as has Severin since 1935)
Christian Art in St. Laurenz+

Significant Artworks in the Basilica

Among the numerous noteworthy Christian artworks in the Basilica, the following are particularly worth mentioning:

  • Lorch Madonna around 1330
  • four Gothic stained-glass windows from 1330
  • Bust of a Man of Sorrows (Pietà?) around 1330, found in a wall niche during renovation work.
  • Frescoes from the 14th century
  • Lorch Pietà made of terra nigra (around 1430)
  • Gothic tabernacles from 1480 and 1486
  • Wooden relief Slaughter of the Innocents around 1520 (Lorch Master)
  • Life-size Corpus of the choir arch cross around 1530
  • Life-size Ecce Homo group in terracotta around 1690 with Pontius Pilate in the uniform of a Turkish Grand Vizier.
  • Large paintings from the 18th century depicting the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, the patron saints of the city of Enns, and the bishops of Lorch (Pilgrim's Forgery)
  • Stained-glass windows by Rudolf Kolbitsch (1967)
  • Bronze gates depicting the lives of the local saints Florian and Severin, as well as the Stations of the Cross of Jesus with the encounter between the Risen Christ and Thomas (Peter Dimmel: 1970; 1971; 1985)
  • Wrought-iron Star of Hope (Wolfgang Pöttinger: 1999)

Current Exhibition

Until October 15, 2013, the Basilica of St. Laurenz hosts the special exhibition "cast – forged – cut. Christian metal art from Upper Austria from the 20th century to today." In addition to exhibits from the Basilica itself, loans from other churches and monasteries are also on display: finely crafted chalices and patens, pectoral crosses, evangeliaries, and other objects of Catholic liturgy, which even churchgoers usually only admire from a distance. The works draw on rich Christian symbolism and invite closer inspection.

Christian Life in St. Laurenz+

After the parish rights were transferred to the former church of the Franciscan monastery in Enns in 1553, it took more than 400 years until a new parish was established. Since 1968, St. Laurenz has again been a parish church. Since then, the parish has consciously pursued a path of openness and encounter with the world in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. The organizational leadership of the parish has been in the hands of the married theologian Harald Prinz since 2010; the brothers of the Franciscan monastery in Enns assist him and the parish sacerdotally.

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basilika_St_Laurenz.jpg

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 48.2184, 14.4667