edited by Dave Collins

The cathedral began to be built in the XII century, in the following century it is begun to build the Gothic church, leaving the Towers of the Pagans and the Door of the Giants unchanged, you initially build.

The Pummerein was destroyed falling from the tower, that that can be observed today is the result of the fusion of the original bell. The façade is composed from the Towers of the Pagans, that are twin, and from the Door of the Giants, called so because during the excavations of the XV century was found a bone of notable dimensions, the viennese ones thought it dealt with the rests of a giant, but in reality it was a bone of a mammoth. The towers of the Pagans are called in this way because they remember the Turkish minarets. In head to the transept there is the Steffl, the south Tower, to the 73 meters high it preserves the room of the keeper of the tower once used for sighting in advance the fires.

On the Tower north, the tower of the eagle, the Pummerin, the greatest bell in Austria and one are found of the greatest some world. It plays only in special occasions, it starts the Viennese New Year's eve. In the crypt of the bishops the sarcophaguses of the duke Rodolfo and other exponents of the family of Asburgo are found. The catacombs extend it in the subsoil of the whole plaza of Saint Stephen. The roof of the cathedral is a work of art of notable importance, it deals with a roof maiolicate dressed again by 250.000 tiles enameled that they form the coat of arms of the bicephalous eagle of the Asburgos. The cathedral is long 62 meters, tall 28 with three aisles, wide 39 there are a brief transept and a depth choir.

The crucifix that is found on the left, entered hardly the Cathedral, it has a beard that holds today still him continuous to growth. This is one of the so many legends that enrich the charm of this sacred place. In the central aisle there is the Gothic Pulpit, masterpiece of Anton Pilgram, adorned by the figures of the four fathers of the church.