Melk to Dürnstein
Somewhat overcast but with ever more fall colors, our morning stop at the city of Melk reminded us of the great cultural and literary tradition of the Catholic Church. Perched on an abrupt rock, the monastery of Melk with its ochre yellow building complex appeared completely Baroque, but the Medieval treasures in the museum such as ivory coffers in Moorish design, a miniature travel breviary, a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict and a larger than life-sized wooden crucifix from 1200 told far more ancient stories of the significance of both the written word and the visual image. Many of us remembered Umberto Eco’s book (and film) The Name of the Rose, in which the monk comes from the Melk Monastery, a renowned Medieval center of learning with a large library.
After a glance down the lengthy Imperial Wing used for the accommodation of emperors and their large entourage, the relatively new museum carried us from Medieval challenges and church turmoil, to the glories of the Baroque and the rationalization of the Enlightenment, all the way to the present schooling and tourism enterprises of the monastery. In a surprising juxtaposition of the historical with the ultra-modern, there were aural commands to “listen” as we passed through doorways, waves in the pathway with ups and downs, colors for meditation, mirrors for reflection, and numerous other symbolic effects to communicate the message of the monastery museum to the visitor.
Notable was the only room with a partially opened window, allowing in the light of the Enlightenment in the era of Joseph II (1780-90). In this room we discovered the limitations placed on the church regarding candles, leather vestments, and even a reusable wooden coffin. In the great library we saw the books meticulously bound in leather or parchment in a splendidly decorated hall with frescoed ceilings, befitting the storage of the most treasured possessions of a monastery. On display was also a fragment of the Song of the Nibelungen discovered hardly a decade ago in the binding of a book under restoration. This well-known Medieval tale was transcribed by an anonymous monk and mentions several sites on our expedition such as Passau, Melk, and Esztergom.
Our bevy of cyclers between Melk and Dürnstein waved to guests aboard as the River Cloud passed the town of Spitz, before meeting up with us for the walks in the charming wine village Dürnstein. Due to the somewhat inclement weather of the past weeks, the grapes are not as sweet as needed and the harvest will be late this fall. We were fascinated with the historical town and castle ruins, where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in the late 12th century. According to legend, Blondel, Richards minstrel, sang a song outside numerous fortresses until he heard the second stanza only known to his king sung back to him. An enormous ransom was paid for Richard’s release, which ultimately provided the fortification walls around Vienna and saved the city, if not all of Europe, from the Turkish sieges. The excellent Dürnstein wine tasting in ancient cloister cellars included Gruner Veltliner and Riesling white wines.
Somewhat overcast but with ever more fall colors, our morning stop at the city of Melk reminded us of the great cultural and literary tradition of the Catholic Church. Perched on an abrupt rock, the monastery of Melk with its ochre yellow building complex appeared completely Baroque, but the Medieval treasures in the museum such as ivory coffers in Moorish design, a miniature travel breviary, a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict and a larger than life-sized wooden crucifix from 1200 told far more ancient stories of the significance of both the written word and the visual image. Many of us remembered Umberto Eco’s book (and film) The Name of the Rose, in which the monk comes from the Melk Monastery, a renowned Medieval center of learning with a large library.
After a glance down the lengthy Imperial Wing used for the accommodation of emperors and their large entourage, the relatively new museum carried us from Medieval challenges and church turmoil, to the glories of the Baroque and the rationalization of the Enlightenment, all the way to the present schooling and tourism enterprises of the monastery. In a surprising juxtaposition of the historical with the ultra-modern, there were aural commands to “listen” as we passed through doorways, waves in the pathway with ups and downs, colors for meditation, mirrors for reflection, and numerous other symbolic effects to communicate the message of the monastery museum to the visitor.
Notable was the only room with a partially opened window, allowing in the light of the Enlightenment in the era of Joseph II (1780-90). In this room we discovered the limitations placed on the church regarding candles, leather vestments, and even a reusable wooden coffin. In the great library we saw the books meticulously bound in leather or parchment in a splendidly decorated hall with frescoed ceilings, befitting the storage of the most treasured possessions of a monastery. On display was also a fragment of the Song of the Nibelungen discovered hardly a decade ago in the binding of a book under restoration. This well-known Medieval tale was transcribed by an anonymous monk and mentions several sites on our expedition such as Passau, Melk, and Esztergom.
Our bevy of cyclers between Melk and Dürnstein waved to guests aboard as the River Cloud passed the town of Spitz, before meeting up with us for the walks in the charming wine village Dürnstein. Due to the somewhat inclement weather of the past weeks, the grapes are not as sweet as needed and the harvest will be late this fall. We were fascinated with the historical town and castle ruins, where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in the late 12th century. According to legend, Blondel, Richards minstrel, sang a song outside numerous fortresses until he heard the second stanza only known to his king sung back to him. An enormous ransom was paid for Richard’s release, which ultimately provided the fortification walls around Vienna and saved the city, if not all of Europe, from the Turkish sieges. The excellent Dürnstein wine tasting in ancient cloister cellars included Gruner Veltliner and Riesling white wines.
