Work of art discovered

St. Cecilia was “slumbering” in an attic

The image of St. Cecilia was immortalized as an artistic treasure on wooden planks.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Gabriele Moser)

A true All Saints' art treasure from the Baroque period was discovered while clearing out in the Waldviertel. The picture shows St. Cecilia.

We see it almost as a heavenly coincidence," says the anonymous discoverer of St. Cecilia, patron saint of church music, but also of musicians, singers and instrument makers. Just before All Saints' Day, she discovered a depiction of this special Christian saint in an attic in the district of Gmünd!

Cecilia buried the dead
The significance of the valuable find: Cecilia was sentenced to death in 230 AD because she refused to worship "false" gods, vowed herself to Jesus Christ and stood up for burying the dead.  

"In a pagan world, this was her death sentence and there are many touching legends surrounding her entry into the kingdom of heaven."

Alois Schwarz, Diözesanbischof von St. Pölten

Wood, bronze and fine gold
The treasure itself: The baroque relief, in which she can be seen in bronze and decorated with fine gold, on a simple piece of carpentered wood with her organ and the angel that plays a key role in her biography, is probably 400 years old.

Well-known motif of great artists
Great artists such as Rubens and other great masters have repeatedly immortalized Saint Cecilia. The newly unearthed work of art from the Baroque period was in private ownership in Vienna for a long time and came to the Waldviertel as part of an inheritance.

Discovery as a heavenly sign
But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was discarded with books and other pictures and almost forgotten. While clearing out the attic, this painting suddenly caught the attention of the heiress. "It is extremely likely that a special gem of art history has turned up here," confirms an expert. The fact that the special Saint Cecilia, who makes her presence felt precisely in commemoration of the dead, may be a sign from heaven

St. Cecilia was discovered in an attic in the Waldviertel around All Saints' Day. Both the owner and believers see this as a miraculous sign from heaven.