In winter 2018 the 200th anniversary of the song will be celebrated. âAstro del Cieloâ, also known as âStille Nacht.â
The well-known Christmas carol, composed by the Austrian musician Franz Xavier Gruber, has exerted its charm for two centuries and gives an air of celebration to all families in the world. A simple melody that touches the heart with a universal message of peace and celebration, since it was first performed on December 24, 1818 in the church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, near Salzburg.
The bicentenary of âStille Nachtâ is celebrated with numerous exhibitions and events, including the world premiere of the musical âMeine Stille Nachtâ (My Stille Nacht) at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg and with nine exhibitions in 13 locations in Salzburg. Tyrol and Upper Austria. This winter you can organize an original trip through Austria that visits the most significant places of "Stille Nacht", including some of the most picturesque villages beyond the Alps.
We depart from Salzburg, the city of Joseph Moh, author of the song. In 1807 his musical talent allowed him to obtain a place in the choir of St. Peter's Abbey. His theological training, at the then Royal Bavarian Higher School in Salzburg, ended with his priestly ordination on August 21, 1815, in Salzburg. Salzburg Cathedral, with its historic baptismal font, can be visited with free admission. The Salzburg Cathedral organ was modernized by organ builder Carl Mauracher, who introduced the song âStille Nacht! âHeilige Night!â in FĂŒgen, his hometown in the Zillertal valley.
In Salzburg, guided tours of the historic center dedicated to the singing âStille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!â, which cover the Steingasse street where he spent his childhood, the cathedral, the seminary on Makartplatz square, the Benedictine convent of St. Peter at the foot of the Mönchsberg hill and the current University of Salzburg with the Aula Magna. In the latter place the academic gymnasium was located in Mohr's time. The famous Salzburg carillon plays the melody of âStille Nacht! âHeilige Night!â at midnight, 24 a.m. and 7.00 a.m. In churches for Christmas mass it is tradition to sing the original version of âStille Nacht! âHeilige Night!â And until 11.00 February 18.00 at the Salzburg Museum you can admire the temporary exhibition âStille Nacht 3 â Geschichte. Botschaft. Gegenwart.
In addition to Salzburg, the nearby city is among the main stops. Oberndorf; with the chapel dedicated to âStille Nachtâ. This town is known for having hosted the first performance of the "Astro del Ciel", performed in the parish church of San Nicola by the primary school teacher. Franz Xavier Gruber, author of the music, and Mohr during Christmas night 1818. In 1896-1897 floods from the Salzach River destroyed a good part of Oberndorf and the church of St. Nicholas was demolished; the new parish church, built in 1906-1907, is located elsewhere in the city. In 1937 the chapel of the Star of Heaven was built in place of the church of San Nicola.
Another stop is in the nearby town of Arnsdorf, where you can visit the shrine of Maria im Mösl and the museum dedicated to âStille Nachtâ, located in the former primary school where Gruber lived. It was probably here that Gruber composed the melody on the afternoon of December 24, 1818. The sanctuary played a very important role at that time. This small village near Oberndorf was for centuries a well-known place even beyond our borders: pilgrims came to the sanctuary even from distant Rome and, even today, each new archbishop of Salzburg, upon assuming office, makes a pilgrimage on foot to Arnsdorf .
Il Sendero Gruber-Mohr-Weg It connects the two villages of Oberndorf and Arnsdorf and invites you for a wonderful walk. Most likely, it is the same path that Franz Xaver Gruber followed to go to Oberndorf to carry out his work as an organist. The path runs between the Arnsdorf school and the Stille Nacht square in Oberndorf, is approximately eight kilometers long (round trip) and requires at least 2,30 hours of walking. On December 24, an atmospheric torchlight excursion along the historic Gruber-Mohr-Weg path to the Stille Nacht chapel in Oberndorf is organized.
The itinerary continues through Mariapfarr, where Mohr had his first assignment as assistant parish priest. Here he met his grandfather and in 1816 he wrote the poem âStille Nacht! âHeilige Night!â Mariapfarr is located in the UNESCO Lungau Biosphere Park of Salzburg and is considered one of the sunniest cities in Austria: it has been a popular holiday resort for decades. As a country of songs, Mariapfarr preserves the memory of Joseph Mohr and his legacy. The Stille Nacht Museum, in the northern part of the rectory, contains documentation about Mohr, from the family tree to the two years he spent in Mariapfarr.
But there are many other stops for those who want to trace the history of "Stille Nacht." The charming town of inner district in Upper Austria, where Gruber taught. Steyr, nicknamed "Romantic City" for the charming landscape and its buildings and in particular for the course of the two rivers and the 119 bridges and walkways that cross them, where for the first time a writing of the Christmas song was found. Fortress-Oh, birthplace of Gruber, a charming farming village overlooking the Salzach River. The mountain town of Wagrain, seat of the last parish of Mohr. Today, Wagrain is a popular winter sports and tourist center included in the Salzburger Sportwelt area. The âWagrainer Kulturspaziergangâ cultural route invites you on a walk of approximately one and a half hours following Mohr's footsteps through the âStille Nachtâ district.
