Salzburg Cathedral, View from Mönchsberg
|
|
|
| Salzburg Cathedral, View of the Nave | Salzburg Cathedral, View of the Southern Nave |
|
With its distinctive two-tower facade and its impressive structure the Cathedral dominates the view of the city of Salzburg. The baroque squares surrounding it form a unique backdrop that is used as a stage by the Salzburg Festival and has been distinguished as a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO.
The present cathedral has two medieval predecessors whose remnants can be seen in the crypt. In 774 St. Virgil consecrated the first cathedral. Under Archbishop Hartwik (991-1023) the building was expanded and under Archbishop Conrad I (1106-1147) two towers were added to the west.
In 1167 this Carolingian cathedral burned down. Archbishop Conrad III (1177-1183) then had an enormous Romanesque building constructed that was 110 meters long, had five towers and doubtlessly looked similar to the cathedrals in Mainz and Worms. After a fire in 1598, it was torn down as well.
The cornerstone of the present baroque cathedral was laid in 1614. In 1628, Archbishop Paris Lodron consecrated the new cathedral. About 40 years later the towers and surrounding squares were completed.
The baroque construction is impressive due to its clear form, the uniform ornamentation and the bright facade of local marble. The cathedral’s architect, Santino Solari was from Italy. In the first half of the 17th century, Salzburg cathedral was the most significant church construction north of the Alps and it influenced the architecture in all of Austria and southern Germany.
|
|
|
| Salzburg Cathedral, Western Loft and Organ | Salzburg Cathedral, St. Rupert's Oratory |
