The basilica in Weingarten, Württemberg, is considered the largest baroque church north of the Alps: because of its impressive dome, it is also called the “Swabian Saint Peter.” It is half as high, half as wide and half as long as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, according to the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese. The 300th anniversary of the church’s consecration is now being celebrated. On September 10, 1724, the then Prince-Bishop of Constance, Johann Franz von Stauffenberg, consecrated the Basilica of Saint Martin.
The anniversary is being celebrated by the parish, the town of Weingarten and the state of Baden-Württemberg with several events. On Tuesday (September 10), diocesan administrator Clemens Stroppel will lead the celebratory service at 7 p.m. The basilica choir will “take the faithful back to the 18th century,” it was said. The mass and the Magnificat for choir and orchestra were written by the Weingarten monk at the time, Christophorus Vogl.
“Worthy place” for blood relic
Standard delegations from “blood rider groups” refer to the famous blood relic during the service. The tradition of the Weingarten Blood Ride dates back to the eleventh century. At that time, the monastery received parts of a Holy Blood relic from Mantua, Italy. According to legend, the relic contains earth mixed with the blood of Christ. During the horse procession, which traditionally takes place on the Friday morning after Ascension Day, a rider has been blessing the blood relic through the streets and corridors for centuries. Hundreds of riders dressed in black follow.
The decisive factor in building the baroque church was to create a worthy place for the veneration of the relic, explained Pastor Ekkehard Schmid. A document from 1724 reports on the most magnificent celebrations that the Oberland had ever experienced. The festivities for the consecration lasted a whole week.
With regard to the preservation of the 300-year-old building, it was said that it was “never finished”. The state of Baden-Württemberg, which owns the monastery complex today, has been renovating the interior of the basilica since 2021 – after the towers and west façade. (KNA)
