Géfin Gyula: A szombathelyi székesegyház (Szombathely, 1946)
Képek jegyzéke
splendidly painted by Winterhalder from a sketch of Maulbertsch. The Gloria of the High-Altar was executed by Prokop from a sketch by Hefele. The altar picture, a masterpiece of Maulbertsch, represents the Visitation, (ill. 37.) On either side of the High-Altar of noble simplicity there are groups of statues: The sacrifice of Zacharias (Lk. 1, 8—20.) and the Vision of St. Joseph (Mt. 1, 20—21.) On the north wall of the Sanctuary we see a well done copy of P. da Cortona's picture „Saul and Ananias", probably painted by Ricci (ill. 39.) The stalls of the Chapter are the refined workmanship of Bitterle with artistic carvings by Prokop and Eckart. On the right of the Sanctuary there is St. Michael's Chapel, otherwise called: The Lady Chapel, (ill. 41.) Above the entrance we find the relief of the Bishop Somogy. Over the Altar of the Chapel there is the Sixtine Madonna sculptured in marble by Romanelli. The roof shows a fresco-painting by Winterhalder: The Last Judgement. On the left of the Sanctuary there is the Vestry, Above the very refined porch we see the relief of Bishop Szily by Prokop (ill. 42.) In the inner Vestry of the Chapter there is an excellent copy of G. Reni's St. Michael, (ill. 46.) On the side wall a valuable work of G. Reni and Sirani: The Holy Family. The delicately executed candlesticks and the Cross are a gift of the Empress Maria Theresia to Cardinal Herzan, second Bishop of Szombathely, (ill. 43—45.) Above the Vestry are the Archives of the Chapter and below the Vestry are the crypts of the bishops and canons. The Destruction ol the Cathedral On the 4 th. March 1945 U. S. A. bombers destroyed, besides a large part of the city, its greatest treasure, the Cathedral. Three or four mines exploded in the Nave and in the Sanctuary. The tremendous power of the explosion flung the tiles and the beams far away. In front of the facade there lay in many pieces the statues of the Apostles of the Gable and the allegorical women figures of the Tympanum, the Tympanum itself and the main cornice cracked, the upper part of the fayade separated from the steeples, the spires of which were also damaged, and inclined forward, (ill. 49.) The roof of the Nave crashed down (ill. 50., 51., 52.) splitted 210
