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The oldest building on Michaelerplatz, and the inspiration for its name, is the Michaelerkirche , built in the thirteenth century, though the Neoclassical facade, added in 1792, somewhat obscures this fact. Inside, the church retains its plain Gothic origins, but it's the later additions that are of more interest, in particular the Fall of Angels , a Rococo cloudburst of cherubs and angels rendered in alabaster, tumbling from the ceiling above the high altar. From November to April you can get a closer look at this by simply walking in via the west door; from May to October, however, you can only do so by entering from the Durchgang via the south door and paying a small fee (Mon-Sat 10.30am-4.30pm, Sun 1-5pm; oS25/?1.82). After picking up a confusing information sheet in English, you may then explore the church and the interesting exhibition that spreads out into the adjoining monastery. From a doorway in the north choir aisle, you can also descend into the church's labyrinthine crypt , which stretches the length and breadth of the building. A brief guided tour in German (Mon-Fri 11am and 3pm; oS25/?1.82) reveals piles of paupers' bones and numerous musty coffins taken from the now defunct graveyard, many with their lids off revealing desiccated bodies, still clothed and locked in a deathly grimace.
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