Monday, December 6, 2010

The treasures of Attnang-Puchheim, part 8 of 10

Wednesday:
On account of our over-stimulation on Monday, and also a pot of Goulasch made just for us, we decide to postpone our trip to Salzburg and spend another half-day here in Oberösterreich.  We enjoy a relaxed early morning and a traditional “sweet” Austrian breakfast of breads, meats, cheeses, and jams that suspiciously resembles the “savory” dinner we had last night of breads, meats, cheeses, and pickles.  Then the three of us (distant cousin, DH, and I) set off across some fields and woods to a nearby castle (Schloss Puchheim) and basilica (Wallfahrtsbasilika Maria Puchheim, below).


The "castle" is really just two long buildings around a central courtyard; one is an arts academy and the other was owned by some descendant of a noble family who recently passed away; it is in disrepair and the town is trying to acquire it for renovation.  The church is a certified pilgrimage site dedicated in 1891 to die Mutter von der immerwärenden Hilfe (“the mother of perpetual help”).  The central icon is a portrait of Mary and the Christ child, the Gnadesbild (mercy image), which is not only a replica of a painting in Rome but has also been touched to the original, which is credited with several healings.  The history of the icon is illustrated in paintings around the edges of the nave, and the basilica’s copy hangs in the chancel over the crucifix.  There is also a copy under a little pitched wooden roof on the path in the wood; such mini-shrines still dot the landscape in Catholic parts of Germany and Austria, although presumably they used to be more common.  What is more, thankful pilgrims will donate an image to the basilica in thanks for answered prayers.  There is an entire hallway of such pictures, going all the way back to the 1890s.  You can see the Gnadesbild in some of the frames on the wall.





















The last, and really cool, detail about this church is the Krippe.  It dates from the 18th century and is what appears to us a “typical” Austrian nativity, in that it is stuffed with figures, most of whom are not mentioned in the Gospel accounts (townspeople, mountain men, musicians; heck, the stall can be debated, but we won’t go there right now).  The creche is protected from the light by a red velvet curtain, and here you can see some snapshots.  To read DH's blog post about nativity scenes, click here.



After a delicious lunch of Goulasch, Spätzle, and cucumber/vinegar salad, we hop on a train for the quick ride to nearby Salzburg.  Being none too ambitious, we wander through the Mirabelle gardens down to the old town, where we visit a woodworking shop, and end the day with Indian food.




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