Located in Sazlburg, Austria, where the Residenzplatz flows into the Domplatz, the Salzburg Cathedral (Domkirche Saint Rupert) is renowned for its harmonious Baroque architecture and 4,000-pipe organ. It also contains the medieval font in which Mozart was baptized.
The original Romanesque cathedral burnt down in 1598. Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich commissioned for a grand new cathedral to be built in its place, reaffirming Salzburg’s commitment to Catholicism during the Reformation. However, Dietrich’s overthrow prevented the completion of the project, and the present cathedral was completed by Archbishop Markus Sittikus Count Hohenems and consecrated by Archbishop Paris Count Lodron in 1628.
The cathedral’s plaza, a complete aesthetic conceptualization, is considered one of Salzburg’s most beautiful landmarks. The Virgin’s Column, a 1771 statue of the Virgin Mary rises in the center. Recognized by many as the most perfect Renaissance building in the German-speaking countries, Salzburg Cathedral is adorned with a marble façade, twin west towers topped with large green-roofed domes, and bronze doors illustrating the themes of faith, hope, and love.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was baptized in the cathedral, served as the organist there from 1779 to 1781. Some of his compositions, including the Coronation Mass, were written for the cathedral, and many of his works premiered there.
Photos courtesy of the Salzburg Tourism Board.
Photos courtesy of the Salzburg Tourism Board.
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