“What relic is housed inside?” I ask, standing before the Hauskapelle St. Michael. This chapel is not just any room. It was once deemed the holiest space within St. Michael’s Church.
The Hauskapelle St. Michael centers around the veneration of the Holy Cross. It once housed a piece of the cross of Christ alongside other precious relics. Duke William V, who reigned Bavaria from 1579, deeply influenced its creation. He wanted to shape Bavaria in the Catholic spirit. He had been educated by Jesuits. He found Renaissance humanism ideal for this shaping.
Look closely at the altarpiece. Hans von Aachen created it between 1552 and 1615. This masterpiece enhances the chapel’s spiritual significance. Consider the figures on the arch leading to the chancel. They depict Jesus as Vir dolorum. He is shown as the Man of Sorrows. Mary, his mother, appears as Mater Dolorosa. She is shown as the Mother of Sorrows. These images evoke deep emotions and reflection.
Also notice the figures of St. Catherine and St. Barbara. They stand gracefully in the wall niches. They add to the chapel’s serene atmosphere.
St. Michael’s Church, where the Hauskapelle St. Michael resides, has a rich history. Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria, permitted the Jesuit Order to establish a school in Munich in 1556. This school is known as the Wilhelmsgymnasium. The church and school became spiritual centers for the Counter-Reformation.
The facade of St. Michael’s Church is impressive. It features bronze statues of Duke Wilhelm V and earlier Bavarian rulers. These statues are arranged in the form of a family tree. A large bronze statue between the entrances depicts Saint Michael the Archangel battling Lucifer. Hubert Gerhard, a Dutch sculptor, created this dramatic scene.
Inside St. Michael’s Church, the main altarpiece displays Saint Michael the Archangel fighting Lucifer. Christoph Schwarz, a Bavarian painter, created this painting.
The crypt of St. Michael’s Church holds the tomb of Eugène de Beauharnais. Bertel Thorvaldsen created a monument in 1830. Eugène was the son of Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s first wife. He married Princess Auguste of Bavaria. He was later created Duke of Leuchtenberg.
Many members of the House of Wittelsbach are buried in the crypt. These include Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria. Also Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, rests here. King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the builder of Neuschwanstein Castle, is also interred here. His brother, King Otto of Bavaria, is also buried here.
St. Michael’s Church faced severe damage during World War II. It was renovated and rededicated in 1953. The interior was renovated again from 1980 to 1983. The facade was renovated from 2009 to 2013.
Today, St. Michael’s Church stands as the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. Duke Wilhelm V commissioned its construction between 1583 and 1597. It was modeled after Il Gesù, the Jesuit mother church in Rome. However, St. Michael’s Church surpassed it in size. Its barrel vault is the world’s second-largest cantilever barrel vault. Only St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome has a larger one.
As you leave the Hauskapelle St. Michael, remember its role. It stands as a testament to faith, art, and history. It embodies Bavaria’s rich cultural heritage.