Central Cathedral of Vienna. Churches, temples, basilicas, cathedrals and monasteries in Vienna

Cathedral St. Stephen's in Vienna (Stephansdom) – huge catholic cathedral, which is the main attraction and symbol of Vienna.

Contents of the article

History of the construction of St. Stephen's Cathedral

The first cathedral in honor of the patron saint of Austria, St. Stephen, began to be built in 1137, and was completed 10 years later. It was a Romanesque style cathedral. But in 1258 the cathedral burned down in a fire.

In April 1359, construction began on a new Catholic cathedral, in the Gothic style. The south tower, whose height is 137 m, took almost 100 years to build. Construction of the north tower of St. Stephen's began in 1450. The northern tower of the cathedral was never completed; its height is 68.3 m. The towers now house observation platforms from which a magnificent view of Vienna opens.

St Stephen's Cathedral was not damaged by bombing during the war, but was damaged by fire in April 1945. The northern tower collapsed and the huge Pummerin bell fell and broke, the interior of the cathedral was almost completely destroyed.

The restoration work of St. Stephen's Cathedral was carried out with money from the townspeople and voluntary donations. The cathedral reopened its doors to parishioners in April 1952. And the restoration of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna continues to this day.

The roof of St. Stephen's Cathedral is covered with 230,000 tiles.

There are 23 bells in the belfries of St. Stephen's Cathedral. One of them, the new Pummerin bell, weighs 21,383 kg, is located in the north tower. It rings only 11 times a year - on major holidays. But for daily ringing there are 11 bells located in the southern tower.

In St. Stephen's Cathedral there is a tomb of the Habsburg dynasty, and in the eastern part of St. Stephen's Cathedral there is an underground cemetery - catacombs.

How to get to St. Stephen's Cathedral?

The cathedral is located in Vienna at Stephansplatz 1, Stephansplatz Square. You can get there by metro U1, U3 to the metro station of the same name “Stephansplatz”. From the Vienna Opera it takes literally 5 minutes to walk straight along the pedestrian street.

St. Stephen's Cathedral: opening hours and cost of visiting

St. Stephen's Cathedral is active Catholic cathedral, open to the public from 6:00 to 22:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 7:00 to 22:00 on Sunday.

If you plan to visit St. Stephen's Cathedral with your guide, then this can be done from 9:00 to 11:30 and from 13:00 to 16:30, and on Sunday and on holidays from 13:00 to 16:30.

Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am at St. Stephen's Cathedral There is a 30 minute tour in English. The cost of the excursion is 5 euros per person.

Catacombs can be visited with a guided tour, which lasts about 30 minutes, runs from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 16:30, on Sunday from 13:30 to 16:30. The cost of visiting the catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral is 5 euros per person.

You should definitely go up to one of the observation platforms in the cathedral towers. In the southern tower, at an altitude of almost 137 m, there is an observation deck, which can be reached by climbing 343 steps.

Operating hours of the observation deck in the South Tower of St. Stephen: from 9:00 to 17:30. The cost of visiting is 4 euros for an adult ticket, 2 euros for children 15-18 years old, 1.5 euros for children 6-14 years old. The entrance to the observation deck of the South Tower is on the right when looking at the cathedral from the outside.

The observation deck on the North Tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral is open from 9:00 to 17:30 and from 19:00 to 21:30. The cost of visiting is 5 euros for an adult ticket and 2 euros for a child ticket. The entrance to the North Tower is located inside the cathedral, on the left. There is an elevator to the North Tower, which is important for those who don’t like to walk uphill, or for those who are already tired of skiing, like us, for example 😎

You can buy a comprehensive ticket for 16 euros and visit all the attractions of St. Stephen's Cathedral listed above.

St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. Review. Video

We visited the main attraction twice. The first time, on the day we arrived in Vienna, we just walked around the city, took the metro from ours to the Vienna Opera and walked along the pedestrian street.

Very soon we reached Stephansplatz Square.

Cathedral St. Stephen's amazes with its size. We tried to photograph him this way and that, but he still wouldn’t fit into the frame. That’s why we only have pieces of the cathedral in the photos 😎

That evening, a service was taking place inside St. Stephen's Cathedral and we were not allowed further than the entrance.

The second time we purposefully went to Stefansdom to climb the observation deck in the North Tower. I knew in advance that I didn’t want to climb the steps to the South Tower, although I assumed that the view from it was better than from the North Tower.

And we saw these views of evening Vienna.

By the way, there in the distance is the famous Vienna Ferris Wheel.

I really wanted to ride it, but we didn’t have time. So next time there will be a reason to return to Vienna!

And here is a video taken from the observation deck of St. Stephen's Cathedral

On Viewpoint of St. Stephen's Cathedral There are these machines installed, where for 1 euro and for 2.5 euros you can get information about the opening panorama on different languages. There is no Russian language there yet.

We also took the elevator down and rested a bit inside the cathedral.

and went to look for where to have a delicious dinner. I’ll tell you about delicious places in Vienna very soon. Subscribe to updates to receive new articles by e-mail.

When I was preparing a post about a walk through the center of Vienna, about a hundred photographs were pre-selected, which did not fit into the post due to the 36-photo limit. I had to select several more thematic ones from the main general post, and the first thing I did was successfully create a thematic selection about churches, temples, basilicas, cathedrals and monasteries, which was slightly supplemented with their interiors.

The review included: St. Stephen's Cathedral ( main symbol Vienna), Ruprechtskirche (the oldest church in Vienna), St. Peter's Church, court churches of St. Michael and St. Augustine, Scottish Monastery, Am Hof ​​Church, Greek Orthodox Church Holy Trinity, Greek Catholic Church St. Barbara, Dominican and Jesuit churches, Votivkirche and Karlskirche outside the Inner City and one completely modern church outside the historical center.

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3. Stefansdom is one of the ten tallest churches in the world (the height of its southern tower is more than 136 meters), and during the reign of the Habsburg dynasty, not a single church in Austria-Hungary could be higher than St. Stephen's Cathedral.

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5. If you go from Stefansdom along Graben Street towards the Hofburg, then on the right side there will be St. Peter's Church (however, it will be there, even if you don’t go there :). The very first Church of St. Peter was built in the second half of the 9th century on the site of the future current building (however, nothing remains of that building today). New Church St. Peter's in Baroque style was built at the beginning of the 18th century. They didn't go inside.

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6. From Graben Street we turned left onto Kohlmarkt Street (“Coal Market”). The majestic dome at the end of the street was mistaken for another church, but in fact it turned out to be one of the buildings of the huge Hofburg complex of imperial palaces on the side of Michaelerplatz.

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7. But, nevertheless, there is also a church on Michaelerplatz - this is the Church of St. Michael, the parish of which included the imperial residence located nearby. The first version of the church was built in 1221, and subsequently it was rebuilt several times in various styles: Gothic, Baroque and Classicist. According to legend, in the Church of St. Michael, the bodies were naturally mummified due to special climatic conditions and are available for inspection.

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15. Ruprechtskirche - oldest church in Vienna, one of the oldest surviving buildings (built between 796 and 829). Dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg (whose portrait, by the way, is depicted on the house on the right). After the destruction of the Roman military settlement, the city began to grow around this particular church. And in 1147 the role main church was transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, which we approached a little earlier.

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23. A couple of buildings south of St. Barbara's Church is the Dominican Church. The first church on this site was built by Dominican monks who arrived in Vienna in 1225–26, but it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current façade of the church was built in the Roman-Lombard style (the first time I’ve heard of this).

Despite all the fame and significance of this Gothic cathedral, you should not limit your acquaintance with the temples of Vienna only to a visit to this architectural monument. After all, there are many other religious buildings in Vienna that deserve no less attention.

Below we will look at the most interesting temples Veins you should definitely pay attention to.

Churches and monasteries are the holy antiquities of Vienna.

The oldest church in Vienna was founded in 740. This Church of St. Ruprecht(German: Ruprechtskirche). The nave and lower part date from the eleventh century, and some parts may have been erected even earlier.

St. Ruprecht's Church - Ruprechts Church

Gothic Roman Catholic Church Maria am Gestad(German: Maria am Gestade) was once the traditional church of the Danube sailors and, together with St. Peter's Church and St. Ruprecht's Church, is one of the oldest churches in Vienna. Its name goes back to the times when ships moored off the coast where the church stands.

In documents from 1158 the church is called a Roman shrine. In 1529 and 1683, after Turkish sieges, the building was severely destroyed and restored only in the 19th century.

In 1327, the Augustinian monastery was founded by Frederick the Fair. Later it was built Church of St. Augustine(German: Augustinerkirche), which was originally a court parish church. Various ceremonies took place here. So on February 12, 1736, Maria Theresa was betrothed to Franz Stephen of Lorraine in this church; in 1770 Marie Antoinette and Louis 16 got engaged; in 1810, the betrothal of Marie Louise and Napoleon took place here. In 1916, farewell to Kaiser Franz Joseph took place in this church.

In 1634, a crypt was built next to the church, in which 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the Kaiser's family are still located in Loretokapelle.

Not far from Capuchin churches(German: Kapuzinerkirche) the Kaisergruft tomb is open for viewing. There are 144 sarcophagi here, which became the eternal refuge for most of the Habsburgs. The double sarcophagus of Maria Theresa and her husband is especially unique.

The last burial is dated 1989. Zita, the widow of the last Kaiser of Austria, Charles the First, was buried here. At the time of her death she was 97 years old. Zita returned to Austria after years of exile at the age of 90, as a 90th birthday gift from Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.

« Votivkirche"(German: Votivkirche - "votive church"; also known as the Church of the Vow), the brainchild of the architect Heinrich von Ferstel, is a huge Gothic cathedral with transparent towers. It was founded in 1856 in connection with the rescue of Franz Joseph I. Janos Libeni, a nationalist Hungarian tailor, wanted to stab the Kaiser with a knife, but a button became an obstacle. By 1857, the country became known as Austria-Hungary, and Hungary gained the right to elect a parliament and gained autonomy.

In Votivkirche there is the tomb of Niklas Salm, the defender of Vienna from the Turks in 1529. However, the temple was not famous and over time it turned into a regimental church for nearby barracks.

Cities included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. The streets and alleys have practically not changed their location since the Middle Ages. Only the houses became stone and the facades were changed long history. It is not surprising that many of its areas have remained virtually untouched since ancient times. Numerous churches and squares, which are still located today where they were in the 14th-19th centuries. We begin our stories about the sights of Vienna with its cathedrals.

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom)

Vienna's landmark is St. Stephen's Cathedral. It can be said that it is the national symbol of Austria and the symbol of the city of Vienna. The first church on the site of the cathedral was built in 1137-1147; The cathedral within its current borders was built in the 13th-15th centuries and acquired modern look by 1511. The north tower, founded in 1450, was discontinued in 1511 and remained unfinished. The temple was badly damaged during the fire of 1945. And it was restored only by 1960. Individual restoration work are still ongoing.

Address: Stephansplatz 3

St. Ruprecht's Church (Ruprechtskirche)

When in Vienna, you can’t help but see St. Ruprecht’s Church. This is the oldest church in Vienna; the temple was built between 796 and 829. Dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg, patron saint of salt merchants. The church is located in the northern part of the Old Town, near Hoermarkt Square. The architecture of the cathedral belongs to the Romanesque style.

Address: Seitenstettengasse 5/4.

Church of Mary on the Shore (Maria am Gestade Kirche)

Mary's Church on the Shore is also one of the oldest buildings Vienna. The name "on the shore" comes from the location of the church. She stood on former shore one of the branches of the Danube. Now, this branch of the Danube has been turned into a regulated Donaukanal, which flows about 300 meters east of the cathedral. The original mention of Maria am Gestad dates back to 1158, the modern building was built in 1394-1414. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style.

Address: Salvatorgasse 12

The story about Vienna's cathedrals will continue.

The Minorite Church was founded in 1275, becoming one of the first churches in the Gothic style in Vienna. The first changes in the architecture of the building occurred quite quickly: in 1328 a chapel was built in honor of Saint Louis IX. The chapel had a separate entrance and was not connected to the church. However, the unification took place already in 1340, creating a three-nave single room.

For many years the church existed unchanged. Twice during the Turkish sieges in 1529 and 1683, the tower was partially destroyed. Strong changes occurred during the period of eviction of minorities due to the policies of Emperor Joseph II in 1782.

IN early XIX century, a mosaic copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” was installed in the church. The mosaic was commissioned by Napoleon for the Belvedere, however, it turned out to be too large for those interiors. When the mosaic was completed, Napoleon was overthrown, so Francis I had to pay for the order.

Interestingly, during the construction of the metro in the 1980s, the foundation of a chapel was discovered, which is located next to the church.

Karlskirche Church

The Catholic Church Karlskirche (St. Charles Church) is one of the most recognizable symbols of Vienna. It is located in the 4th district, near Charles Square. Here in 1713, after the plague epidemic, Emperor Charles VI promised to build a church in his name heavenly patron and the defender against the plague, Charles Borromeo. During the competition, the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was selected, who provided a design for the temple in the Baroque style. Three years later the church was founded, but the architect was not destined to see it completed. After his death, his son Joseph Emmanuel continued his business.

The original design of the building was slightly changed during the work: Rococo elements appeared, the height of the drum on which the dome was installed was reduced, and an ancient Greek portico was added. Nevertheless, the view of the temple is truly majestic. A huge azure dome 25 meters in diameter rises exactly in the middle of the temple. Spiral staircases lead upstairs on both sides. The façade is decorated with two carved columns. The temple is richly decorated with frescoes and icons. And on the main altar, Charles Barromeo is depicted surrounded by angels.

Greek Orthodox Church

The Greek Orthodox Church in Vienna appeared in 1963. The building is made of red brick. The windows are beautifully carved, semicircular. Saints are depicted above the main church entrance. Inside it is decorated with a gilded sparkling altar.

The church was built in 1861, according to the design of the architect Theophile Hansen. The initiator of the construction of the temple was the Greek Orthodox community. Since 1963 this cathedral Greek Orthodoxy in Austria. Orthodoxy appeared in Austria thanks to Greek traders. They appeared in Vienna in the 17th century, and Orthodoxy was legalized in 1776. True, for a long time they had as many rights and freedoms as Roman Catholics had.

Currently part of the Greek Orthodox diocese includes seven Austrian parishes, including two Viennese.

St. Michael's Church

St. Michael's Cathedral, or St. Michael's Church, is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. This significant event for the temple took place in 1985. The church was built around 1001-1031 and named after Archangel Michael.

According to historical documents, the church began to be built by the Bishop of Hildesheim. Then he died, and construction of the church was suspended for 11 years. The temple was completed and consecrated only in 1033. The building was destroyed several times and then rebuilt. For example, in 1186 it was damaged by fire. In 1945, the temple was destroyed by bombs from air raids and was put in order only in 1957.

Catholic Church. Entry for tourists is free.

Church of the Piarists

The Piarist Church began to be built in 1716, the project was developed by Lucas Hildebrandt, a famous architect, representative of the Austrian Baroque. The church is one of the most impressive in Vienna, and the magnificent frescoes inside the cathedral make a visit to the church unforgettable.

Note that the construction of the church that had begun was interrupted, after which it resumed only in the middle of the 18th century. Today tourists can see two elegant towers, which are a real decoration of the temple, whose height is 76 meters. The frescoes decorating the inside of the temple were made by Anton Maulberch in 1752-1753. Let us add that another fresco by the brilliant master was created in 1722; today it can be seen in the cross chapel.

The Piarists are an order of Catholic monks that educates and trains young people. Currently, PR specialists (also called PR specialists) work in 30 countries around the world.

Scottish Priory Church

In 1155, in Austria, Irish monks were called Scots, so when Henry Jazomyrogoth founded a Catholic monastery, it was called the Scottish Monastery. It is located in the center of Vienna on Frejung Square. In 1177 a church was built near it. In 1276, there was a fire in the church, after which it was rebuilt; in general, during the 14th-17th centuries, the Church of the Scottish Monastery changed its appearance many times, it was redecorated from the Gothic style to the Baroque. The walls of the altar are painted by Tobias Pock.

In 1773-1774, the architect Andreas Zach completed the construction of a school and a priory on the territory of the monastery. In 1825, the Black Mother of God fountain appeared in the courtyard.

The monastery complex, which has survived to this day, was built according to the design of the architects Andrea d'Allio (the younger) and Silvestre Carlone. The magnificent altar was carved by the master Joachim von Sandrart. The magnificent organ, which was also played by the composer Johann Fuchs, has also been preserved. Since 2005 in the church A museum has been opened at the Scottish monastery.

Votivkirche Church

The Votive Church is one of the most important neo-Gothic monuments in the world. Votivkirche was built on the site of the assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph I. On February 18, 1853, the emperor, together with one of his officers, Count O'Donnell, was walking along the city bastion. Suddenly he was hit with a saber in the neck from the back. The high collar of his uniform saved Franz Joseph, and Earl O'Donnell knocked the saber out of the attacker's hands. Grateful to God for his salvation, Franz Joseph promised to build a temple on this site.

In April 1854, 75 architectural projects were presented to the court. The winner was the design of the neo-Gothic cathedral by Heinrich von Ferstel, who was only 26 years old at the time. The church was one of the very first buildings built in the Ringstrasse area. Its walls are made of white sandstone, which is why it is often confused with Vienna Cathedral Saint Stephen. The Votivkirche has the typical shape of a Gothic cathedral: a facade with two thin towers and three pointed portals, above which there is a gallery of statues, pointed windows, a bell tower and a transept spire, and four chapels around the perimeter. The temple was badly damaged during the Second World War, but was restored.

Church of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is located some distance from the historical center of Vienna, on the Mexican Square, on the banks of the Danube. The construction of the Church of Francis of Assisi in 1898 was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. Work on the creation of this monumental structure lasted more than ten years and was finally completed only in 1913.

Stylistically, the church is made in the neo-Romanesque or Rhenish-Romanesque style, modeled on the famous cathedrals of the Rhine and named after the Catholic saint, Francis of Assisi, the founder of one of the monastic orders. The architect who worked on the construction of this temple managed to create a grandiose creation with powerful towers covered with red tiles. They are perfectly visible from afar. In the left wing of the Church of St. Francis there is a chapel named after Empress Elizabeth. It was built in memory of the tragic death of the Empress in Geneva.

The interior of the church is decorated with golden Byzantine mosaics, which create an amazing impression. The facades are richly decorated and amaze with their monumentality, emphasizing the status of one of the largest sacred buildings in Vienna.

Church of St. Augustine

The Church of St. Augustine is located in the capital of Austria, Vienna. This ancient temple, built in the 14th century in the then popular Gothic style. Subsequently, the church became the ancestral temple of the Habsburg dynasty. Many monarchs were married here, in particular Maria Theresa and Franz Stephen of Lorraine, as well as Napoleon Bonaparte and Maria Louise.

The main attraction of the church is its numerous silver urns. They contain the hearts of representatives of the imperial family, from Ferdinand II to Franz Charles. The string of urns represents a unique collection of burials of the Austrian emperors. It's worth coming here to see this!

The church has a very good location: it is located in the center of the Austrian capital, in the inner city, on Josephplatz. Here you can always find suitable restaurants and cafes, as well as buy memorable souvenirs.

Am Hof ​​Church

In the historical center of Vienna is the Am Hof ​​square, which for centuries was the main shopping area, the venue for knightly tournaments and public speaking, executions were often carried out here. One of the main architectural attractions of Am Hof ​​Square is the church of the same name.

The appearance of the Am Hof ​​Church is so unusual that it evokes associations with a palace, and not with religious building. The terrace on the elegant façade in the Baroque style looks very original and picturesque. In 1782, Pope Pius VI performed a blessing ceremony on this terrace when he visited the city. The second Pope to visit Vienna was Benedict XVI, who also greeted the people of Vienna in 2007 from the balcony of the Am Hof ​​Church.

Construction of the church lasted several years and fell at the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. The church was originally a Gothic building, which was later taken over by the Jesuits. In 1662, on the initiative of the wife of the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand III, the temple was rebuilt and decorated in the Baroque style according to the design of the Italian architect Carlo Carlone. The church is surrounded on all sides by outstanding architectural and historical monuments.

Church of the Teutonic Order

The Church of the Teutonic Order acquired its Baroque appearance in the years 1720-1725, before it was a Gothic temple dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary (XIV century). Significant changes to the appearance of the church were made by Anton Erhard Martinelia, a talented architect.

At the entrance to the temple there is an image of St. Elizabeth, made using mosaic technique. Inside the church there are over 80 knightly coats of arms on the wall - so, according to tradition, each newly knighted person hung his own coat of arms on the wall of the temple.

Above the wall bas-reliefs are jet-black crosses, which are the symbol of the Teutonic Order. The magnificent altar, decorated with elegant carvings, was made in Belgium back in 1520. Above the altar is an icon painted by Tobas Pak in the 17th century.

Today, the temple building houses a museum-treasury, occupying 4 halls, a rich library, the residence of the head of the Order, as well as the treasury. Let us clarify that today the Order is a charitable organization operating under the motto “Help, protect, heal.”

Church of St. Carla

Church of St. Charles Borromea is located in Vienna. Built by an Austrian architect named Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. It is considered the most famous work of Austrian Baroque, in which two influences can be traced - classical French and Italian.

Church of St. Karla Karlskirche is the most big church in the city center. The architect built the sanctuary, wanting to thank his patron for saving Vienna from the plague epidemic. The building turned out to be truly imperial. Bernhard Fischer created the church, embodying the ideas that were contained in sacred buildings - the Pantheon, Jerusalem Temple, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, etc. He was able to bring all the ideas to harmony and embody them in the church of St. Charles Borromean. The most impressive and notable part of the church is the pair of large columns celebrating the life of Charles. The triumphal columns are decorated with brass-themed decorations.

The construction of the Karlskirche church was completed by the son of the famous architect Fischer, Emmanuel Fischer.

St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church or Peterskirche was built in Vienna in the second half of the 4th century on the site where the barracks of the Roman camp of Vindobona were located, but was subsequently destroyed. Today tourists see the renovated Baroque church, founded in 1701.

It is interesting that the initiator of the foundation of the church was King Leopold the First. The design and construction of the foundation were carried out by Gabriel Montani, but the construction will be completed by Lucas von Hildebrandt. Today the church is located on Petersplatz, one side of which faces the Graben.

Note that Hildebrandt is probably the author of the façade with a graceful curved configuration, which seems to be sandwiched between two bell towers, and he is also the creator of the magnificent semi-oval dome, which has become covered with patina over time.

Tourists are primarily impressed by the rich interiors of the church, lush frescoes and stunning baroque sculptures.

Minority Church

The Minor Church, located on the square of the same name, is one of the oldest Gothic churches in Austria. It was built by Minorites in the 13th century. Over time, as a result of restorations and expansions appearance The buildings have changed a little.

After the eviction of the Minorites, the church was consecrated in honor of Mary of the Snows and declared an Italian church. In the 19th century, a mosaic copy of “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci, who painted it on the orders of Napoleon, was placed in the temple.

In 1900, tabernacles were built in the church.

The classicist interior of the building is complemented by such works of art as “Leopold III Founds Klosterneuburg” by Altomonte, “Maria Schnee” by Unterberger, etc.

Franciscan Church

The Franciscan Church of St. Jerome in Vienna is located on Franciskanerplatz, where there is a fountain of Moses (by Johann Martin Fischer, 1798). This Roman Catholic church was built in 1607 in the Renaissance style with Gothic elements. Its history dates back to 1451, when St. Johannes Capistran, a Franciscan of the Minority Reformed branch, preached his famous sermons in the Stefansfried courtyard. Nim founded the seat of the Order, dedicated to Saint Theobaltus. In 1589, the city community allowed the Franciscan Order to occupy the abandoned monastery of St. Jerome, built in 1383-1387.

The current appearance of the Franciscan Church combines the eclectic style of several trends and eras, which does not violate the overall harmony of the building. The pediment, protruding upward over the narrow facades, is surmounted by an image of the Trinity with three faces (later banned church canons). In the center of the facade is a sculpture of Jerome with a lion lying at his feet, on each side at the base of the pediment are images of St. Louis of France and St. Clare of Assisi, the patroness of the female branch of the Franciscans.

The interior is decorated with altars, the work of Baroque painters Carl Carlone, Johann Martin Schmidt, and Franz Xaver Wagenschen. The Franciscan Church is famous for the oldest organ in the city, built by master Johann Weckerl in 1643. It is installed in the choir behind the main altar, which was painted in 1707 by the artist Andrea Pozzo. The altar is decorated with a wooden statue of Our Lady with an ax in her left shoulder, made in Grünberg in the 15th century. According to legend, Protestants tried to destroy her, but she remained unharmed.

Church Maria von Siege

The Church of Maria von Ziege (“Mary of Victory”) was built in 1875 and combines several styles in its design: classicism, gothic and baroque.

The parish church was built under the direction of the architect Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt. Despite the mixture of styles, the Gothic style predominates in its design. The architectural structure is impressive in scale - the height of the church dome is 68 meters.

The name of the sanctuary comes from the name of the icon, which depicts the moment of the birth of Christ. This composition was present at the battle during the war, which lasted thirteen years (1618-1648). This battle was won in the name of Mary, which is why the church deserved to be named after the icon. Currently, the original is on display in the Roman Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, and its copy is in the Viennese Church of Maria vom Siege.

Votive Church Votivkirche

Votive Church The Votivkirche was built in the 19th century on the initiative of Emperor Maximilian in gratitude to the Almighty for surviving the assassination attempt.

The 27-year-old architect Heinrich von Ferstel, who had already designed the university building, worked on the shape of the church. Interestingly, the architect won the competition to design the church among other 75 applicants. The pseudo-Gothic building stands out with its two 99-meter towers, which are topped by spiers. They cover the facade, decorated with a rose window.

The site where the cathedral was built was the place where, as you might guess, the assassination attempt on the emperor was made.

St. Mary's Church am Gestad

In the northern part of Vienna, on a high hill rises a very beautiful, graceful church of St. Mary am Gestad. Once this was the bank of the Danube River, now Donaukanal, hence the name of the church, which translates from German as “Mary on the Bank”. The building of this catholic church is a true example of Gothic, from front door up to the openwork dome. It is known that it was built on the site of a wooden church with a chapel that existed on this site back in the 9th century, and was considered the patroness of sailors. The first mention dates back to 1158.

In the period from 1409-1469, the church was the property of the Bishopric of Passau, as is recalled by the name of the adjacent Passauerplatz square. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the use of this church as a warehouse and stables for his military needs, but already in 1812 the Church of St. Mary am Gestad was consecrated again.

Maria am Gestad, which can be admired today, was built in 1394-1414. The tower, with fragments of medieval stained glass windows, is visible from afar, its height is 56 meters. Since 1862, the ashes of St. Clemens Maria Hofbauer, who is considered the patron saint of Vienna, have been kept in the Maria am Gestad church. Inside the church, three portals with reliefs and statues delight with their beauty.

Church of Our Lady of Angels

The Kapuzinerkirche is the Church of Our Lady of the Angels, which was the temple of the monastery of the Capuchin Order. Located near the Hofburg Palace, this church has gained worldwide fame due to the fact that it houses the Imperial Crypt, which contains the ashes of the Habsburg emperors and members of their families.

Around 1599, the Capuchin monks, led by Lawrence Brindisi, lived for some time in Vienna during a stopover on their way to Prague, where they were sent by Pope Clement VIII. They founded a monastery, for which, on the initiative of Queen Anne, the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Matthias of the Habsburg Empire, it was decided to build a temple. Due to the outbreak of war, which went down in history as the Thirty Years' War, construction was delayed for five years and began in 1622. Ten years later the church was consecrated.

In 1760, a portal was added, which was subsequently decorated with a fresco by the artist Hans Fischer. One of the attractions of the temple, in addition to the imperial tomb, is the luxurious marble altar.

Church of St. Anne

St. Anne's Church was originally a small chapel in Vienna. It was built in 1320. At first the construction was made in the late Gothic style. In the 17th century it was rebuilt, and the Baroque style became dominant. Gothic elements remained only in some details of the church. In the 18th century, the temple was damaged by a thunderstorm and a fire broke out. After a thorough renovation, the church appeared before the parishioners in the late Baroque style. The ceiling of the temple is decorated with frescoes by Daniel Gran. He also painted the main altar.

Kremser Schmidt and Christoph Tausch also worked on the interior decoration of the temple. Tourists can admire the sculpture, a composition from 1505, which is believed to have been made by Veit Stoss. It depicts Mary and Jesus, with Saint Anne nearby.

Maltese Church in Vienna

The Maltese Church in Vienna is located on one of the most popular and most visited streets by tourists, Kärtnerstrasse. However, few of Vienna's shopping visitors visit this small church, located opposite the expensive glass store Lobmeyer. The Austrians themselves, speaking about this church, joke about their love for sweets. The fact is that Malteser, that is, “Maltese,” sounds like the name of “Maltesers” chocolate candies.

The Maltese Church of St. John the Baptist was founded in the 15th century. It was originally a small church with a Gothic nave. Minor changes in the architecture of the church were carried out until the 19th century. In 1806, a new facade was built, and a turret was added to the temple itself. In 1857, stained glass windows were inserted into the church windows, which have survived to this day. The interior decoration of the church is modest; the baroque organ, ceiling bas-relief and altar from 1730 stand out against its background. The temple houses Jean Parisot de La Valette, a famous Maltese who defended the island from the Turks. The island's capital, La Valletta, is named after him.

Augustinian Church

The Augustinian Church, built in the 14th century according to the design of Dietrich von Pirn in the Gothic style, is now completely different from the church that was originally built for the Order of Non-possessors. Now it is accessible to visitors and delights the eye with its beautiful Baroque style with Gothic elements.

Many memorable and significant events took place in this temple. For example, the wedding of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the wedding of Maria Theresa and Franz of Lorraine, the wedding of Marie Louise and Napoleon, as well as numerous funerals took place here.

Inside the temple, the tombstones of Maria Christina, Maria Theresa, as well as the Crypt of Hearts in the Chapel of St. George with 54 urns containing the embalmed hearts of members of the imperial family are preserved. This temple was the palace church of the Habsburg family for several centuries.

Am Steinhof Church

Am Steinhof Church is unique monument architecture, built in the suburbs of Vienna around psychiatric hospital designed by Otto Wagner. IN decoration The monastery was attended by Koloman Moser, who was in charge of stained glass and mosaics, as well as Richard Luksch and Otmara Szymkowitz, famous Viennese sculptors. The temple is dedicated to the patron saint of Austria - Saint Leopold, whose bronze figures adorn the towers at the entrance.

The church was built at an altitude of 310 meters and oriented along the axis to the north, which violates the local canons. The total capacity of the temple is 800 people. The interior is designed taking into account the fact that the parishioners are mentally unbalanced people, therefore all the internal corners of the church are rounded, and the altar is located quite long distance from the main hall. Access to the temple is carried out separately for women and men, while there are service exits intended for the evacuation of the sick, and small, relatively open confessional booths.

Under the main dome, the ceiling of the church is decorated with symbols of the four evangelists and stained glass windows with images of saints, and above the altar the ascent of the immaculate soul to heaven is depicted. In 2006, the church was restored and reopened to parishioners.

Parish Church of St Lawrence

The parish church of St. Lawrence, which is located in Vienna, attracts attention with its majesty. The church was erected next to the tomb of St. Lawrence in the 6th century, and a small oratory was built above the tomb itself. Then it was modified several times, it acquired its final form in the 19th century, and, despite the fact that during the Second World War it was partially destroyed, the church was restored and is still in use today.

What made it famous was the destroyed basilica, built during the reign of Emperor Constantine, which was discovered during excavations in the 50s of the last century. Inside, the church is rich in original stained glass windows and frescoes from past centuries; the church organ, as well as the 13th century bishop's chair, which is decorated with mosaics, will not be left without attention.

Maltese Church

The Catholic Church of the Order of Malta is located in the Inner City of Vienna at Kärntnerstrasse 37. Not far from it is the Austrian Grand Priory of the Order of Malta. The history of the Maltese Church begins in 1217. Then, on this site, a small Gothic church was originally built in honor of St. John the Baptist. From the middle of the 15th century it was rebuilt.

The present temple building was erected in the 18th century in the Baroque style, pilasters and a small tower appeared, and an organ was installed. The central place is occupied by the main gilded altar with paintings, the creation of the famous architect Johann Georg Schmidt in 1730. On the sides of the altar there are statues of Saints Peter and Paul, and above the altar there are figures of angels. The magnificent stained glass windows of the Malta Church have decorated it since 1857.

During the difficult times of the First World War, in 1933, the Order of Malta, due to financial difficulties, sells the church building to the Vienna diocese. Since 1960, the Maltese Church was bought back and active restoration of the facade of the temple, interior, and main altar began, which continued until 1998.

Jean Parisot de La Valette, a Maltese hero who distinguished himself in the war with the Turks, is buried in the Maltese Church.

St. Michael's Church

One of the oldest attractions in Austria, St. Michael's Church is located in Vienna. The church was founded in 1221 by Catholic monks, members of the Order of St. Michael. The church was built in a strict Romanesque style and existed in this form for several centuries.

The first reconstruction of the church took place in the sixteenth century. Architects considered the Romanesque style to be old-fashioned and changed it to Gothic. Unfortunately, in the eighteenth century, due to massive church reforms the church was given over to the Barbanite order. They strived for simplicity of interiors and therefore considered the Gothic style too pretentious. As a result, many works of Gothic art were simply destroyed.

St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches Vienna. It was built in 1733 by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt on the orders of Emperor Leopold I.

Once upon a time there was a Roman camp on this site, where the first Christian temple was built by Emperor Charlemagne in 792.

The outer building of the church resembles St. Peter's Church in Rome. The church is an oval-shaped building. The dome of the church, painted in emerald color, is decorated on both sides with interesting leaning towers.

The interior of the church is decorated with gilded stucco, and on the walls and inside On the dome you can see frescoes by Martino Altomonte and Rottmayr. Special attractions of the church are the organ and the glass coffin containing the remains of St. Benedict.

Dominican Church

The church begins its history back to 1226, when the Dominicans first came to Australia. They were invited by Leopold VI himself. The Duke allocated them a plot of land, where ten years later the guests built their first temple in Vienna. But the monastery was not destined to survive to this day. The church was rebuilt three times due to destruction during the wars.

The current version was built in 1631. Architectural ensemble in the early Baroque style. The first thing that attracts you is the façade of the building, which has already turned gray over time. Above the entrance to the church there is a figure of St. Mary. On either side of her are statues of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano and Saint Catherine of Sinai.

The interior decoration of the church is no less beautiful. The main altar, illustrating the vision of St. Dominic, catches the eye. The Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream and gave him her beads. This is how the rosary appeared, and in the church there is an altar “Virgin Mary Rosary”.

Clock Museum, Vienna, Austria