THEATINE CHURCH

Description

Essentials about the Theatine Church in brief

The bright yellow facade of the Theatine Church on Odeonsplatz can be seen from afar. The church, donated to the Theatine Order, is one of the most magnificent places of worship in the Bavarian capital. It is the first church north of the Alps to be built in the style of the Italian High Baroque, and its interior impresses with an extraordinary contrast of Baroque beauty with a plain white paint job.

The history and architecture of the Theatine Church

The facade of the Hof- und Stiftskirche St. Kajetan (Catholic Court and Collegiate Church of St. Kajetan), known to the people of Munich as the Theatine Church, is one of the most beautiful in the entire city. It proudly stretches out in bright yellow toward the white-blue Bavarian sky. It is crowned by the copper roofs of the towers and the mighty dome. It is a truly magnificent building that can be seen from afar in many parts of the city.

Like Nymphenburg Palace, the Theatine Church was built in gratitude for a child’s blessing. In 1659, Henriette Adelheid von Savoyen, wife of Elector Ferdinand Maria, vowed to have the “most beautiful and valuable church” built in thanks for the birth of a hereditary prince. This was to become the court church and collegiate church for the order of the Theatines.

After the crown prince and later elector Max II. Emanuel was born on July 11, 1662, the Italian architect and master builder Agostino Barelli was commissioned to design the church. A corner directly on the city wall at the Schwabinger Tor (Schwabing Gate), which still existed at the time, was chosen as the building site for the church and monastery. The foundation stone was laid as early as 1663.

Barelli took the mother church of the Theatines, Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome, as his model. During the construction of the shell, there were heated arguments between Barelli and his construction supervisor Antonio Spinelli, himself a Theatine and Henriette’s confessor, which led to Barelli’s temporary dismissal. Finally, Agostino Barelli completed the shell of the building and then left Munich.

Subsequently, the Swiss architect and master builder Enrico Zuccalli took over the artistic direction. The main focus of his work was the exterior design. Zuccalli determined the shape of the 71-meter-high tambour dome with a diameter of almost 18 meters and later also of the two very unconventional 65-meter-high towers. At the same time, Zuccalli also played a decisive role in the decorative design of the church interior.

In 1675 the church was consecrated – at that time it was still largely in a shell state. Long discussions about the final facade design delayed completion. Zuccalli first erected the towers according to his plans between 1684 and 1692, and the interior was completed in 1688. From 1692 until completion, Giovanni Viscardi was in charge of the construction. Henriette of Savoy died in 1676 and did not live to see the completion of the Theatine Church. It was not until about 100 years after the consecration that François de Cuvilliés the Elder designed a facade in the Rococo style in 1765, which his son François de Cuvilliés the Younger finally completed.

At the end of the World War II, the church and the monastery were partially destroyed. However, reconstruction began as early as 1946 and was largely completed in 1955. Dominicans have been in charge of the collegiate church since 1954. The rebuilding of the former monastery grounds was completed in 1973. The resulting building complex also houses the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, Science and the Arts.

The interior of the Theatine Church

In contrast to the bright yellow facade, the interior of the Theatine Church is kept in plain white and has a stylistic harmony that can be found in only a few churches. Particularly worth seeing is the decorative design of the church with its massive columns and filigree stucco. The high altar with its larger-than-life statues of the evangelists is particularly majestic.

The Theatine Church is also known for its princely crypt. In its function as a court church, the church was one of the most important burial places of the Bavarian ruling dynasty of the Wittelsbach, alongside the Frauenkirche and St. Michael’s Church. A total of 47 members of the Wittelsbach family rest in the princely crypt of the Theatine Church, including four electors, three kings, Prince Regent Luitpold and Emperor Karl VII.