Salzburg Cathedral
Of its numerous churches, the cathedral is Salzburg's most important sacred building. With its mighty dome and two towers, it leaves its own distinctive, and absolutely impressive stamp on the city skyline. A closer look at the cathedral reveals many surprising and exciting details.
The cathedral is very much the centerpiece of Salzburg. Here, there is much to discover: the baptismal font, the crypt, the art installation "Vanitas", as well as the chest containing relics of the Saints Rupert and Virgil. In addition, many secrets are associated with the seven bells as well as the three entrance doors. If you take a closer look, you will even find 370-year-old graffiti scratched into the marble portal.
The cathedral is a monument that needs protection and care. For that reason, a conservation fee of EUR 5,00 is collected for visiting the church (children and adolescents up to 18 free). Included in that ticket is a wide range of possibilities to experience the cathedral: audio guides and daily tours open new perspectives and during “Musik zu Mittag” (music at lunchtime), visitors can listen to the sound of organs that also Mozart played.
Salzburg Cathedral is an imposing tribute to the Early Baroque. Visitors are greeted by the resplendent façade made of Untersberg Marble. Looking down from it are four monumental statues: Apostles Peter and Paul holding a key and a sword, as well as Salzburg's two patron saints, Rupert and Virgil, clasping a salt vessel and a model of the church. The two escutcheons at the top of the gable commemorate the two builders of the cathedral, Markus Sittikus and Paris Lodron. The Cathedral Square, with a statue of the Virgin Mary, forms the atrium – serving as the imposing backdrop for the performances of Jedermann during the Salzburg Festival as well as for the beloved Christmas Market.
The many treasures of this cathedral include a bronze baptismal font (1311) with lions at its base (1200), in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Mohr, the man who wrote the words for "Silent Night!", were both christened. Other highlights include the imposing main organ, the cathedral gates by Schneider-Manzell, Mataré and Manzú, as well as seven bells. The three gates stand for Faith, Love and Hope, with the middle gate (for Love) somewhat larger. The seven bells also have names, ranging from Salvator (the biggest) to Barbara (the smallest). In the Cathedral Museum, you can gaze on other art treasures plucked from 1300 years of church history.
The history of Salzburg Cathedral is closely intertwined with that of its rulers, the prince-archbishops. The cathedral was destroyed by a number of fires, then rebuilt and expanded. The years displayed on the wrought-iron gates – 774, 1628 and 1959 – recall the three occasions the cathedral was consecrated.
The very first cathedral was built in 767 under bishop Virgil, subsequently consecrated to Saints Peter and Rupert in the year 774. After a fire in 1167, archbishop Konrad III had the cathedral rebuilt, now more magnificent than ever, with the work completed in just ten years: now the mightiest Romanesque minster north of the Alps. The remains of these two former churches can still be viewed in the cathedral crypt.
Yet another fire destroyed major sections of the cathedral in 1598. Archbishop Wolf Dietrich was rather unfocused in tackling the rebuilding efforts. Only after his imprisonment and death was his successor Markus Sittikus able to complete the project. He commissioned Santino Solari to build the first example of Early Baroque sacred architecture north of the Alps. The new cathedral was finally consecrated by Archbishop Paris Lodron in 1628. In 1944, an aircraft bomb damaged the dome as well as parts of the sanctuary. In 1959, Salzburg Cathedral was finally re-consecrated, now as magnificent as ever. The cathedral seats approximately 900 worshippers.
