Hiking Highlight
The Matthias Gate was built between 1483 and 1486 as a northeast access to the Ortenburg.
December 31, 2019
The tower got its name from the Hungarian king, who received the Lausitz through the peace of Olomouc. The tower was built in the Gothic style at the end of the 15th century. It used to be the only entrance to the castle.
June 5, 2020
The Matthias Tower, Upper Sorbian Maćijowa wěža, is a gate tower from the late 15th century on the north-east side of the Ortenburg in Bautzen. After the Peace of Olmütz (1479), through which Lusatia was awarded to the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus, the Ortenburg was rebuilt in the late Gothic style by the bailiff on his behalf between 1483 and 1486. The Matthias Tower with the relief, named after the king, also dates from this period.
The castle was accessible from Schloßstraße through the Matthias Gate.
Even before the Matthias Tower was built, a castle chapel was set up on the second floor of what was then the Matthias Gate. From the outside, it can be seen from the city side through the two elongated pointed arch windows in the Matthias Tower to the south-east. Inside, the chapel has an area of just a few square meters and is protected by the inner battlement of the tower. Below the two pointed arch windows was an altar.[1] Opposite the window side is a box, which can be reached via a narrow, dark staircase. On this staircase there is a balustrade in the style of a delicate Gothic tracery. Below the box is a floor-to-ceiling niche, which was probably used to store sacred objects and vestments. The doors in the chapel were also heavily decorated. On the ceiling between the windows and on the opposite side are two angels, each holding a shield.
The chapel was inaugurated in 1225 by Bishop Bruno II von Porstendorf of Meissen. It was consecrated to Knight George as the patron saint and as a result was given the name St. George's Chapel. As a result, it was richly endowed in particular by the knights of the area.
Source: Wikipedia
November 29, 2021
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