The Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Saviour at the
foot of the Alps is considered a perfect example of Bavarian rococo
architecture. Around one million visitors come here every year from all
over the world – to look, marvel, pray, attend services, enjoy the
summer concerts and, of course, for quiet contemplation.
The statue of the Scourged Saviour was erected in 1730
for a pilgrimage but was subsequently put into storage in an attic. In
1738 the peasant woman Maria Lory, having retrieved the statue, saw
tears and drops of blood on the statue. The news quickly spread, more
and more pilgrims came, and soon the wooden village chapel, built in
1740, was no longer enough to accommodate them all. The foundation stone
for the current church was laid in 1746. Two brothers from neighbouring
Wessobrunn were responsible for the realisation of this multifaceted
work of art in the elaborately ornamental rococo style. The altarpiece
is by the Munich court painter Balthasar August Albrecht while the
statues of the four fathers of the western church – Jerome, Ambrose,
Augustine and Gregory the Great – are the work of the Tyrolean sculptor
Anton Sturm. The church's exuberant interior decor is unparalleled in
richness and refinement, with opulent stucco ornamentation by Dominikus
Zimmermann and ceiling frescoes painted by his brother Johann Baptist
Zimmermann, the court painter of the Bavarian Prince Elector. The gilded
stucco garlands and the intricate trompe-l'œil fresco on the dome
ceiling are masterpieces of human creativity and a moving testament to a
deeply-held faith. Master builder Dominikus Zimmermann remained closely
associated with the Wieskirche in Bavaria until his death in a house he built himself, which today serves as an inn.
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