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Peterskirche, Saint Peter’s Baroque church in Vienna

This is the firs church in Vienna, or to be more exact, Peterskirche is built on the spot of the oldest church, that existed in 400 AD. Back then, Vienna was still part of the Roman empire, and it was less than a century since emperor Constantine allowed the Christian faith. The modest parish church […]

Stephansdom, St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, or when the Gothic gets scary

The story of the landmark church of Vienna starts almost nine hundred years ago, with what was started as a Romanesque edifice. From the very beginning it was dedicated to probably the first martyr of Christianity. St Stephen was killed with stones by the Jews that considered his faith a heresy against the law of […]

Vienna architectural details, old and new

If you are interested in architecture, than the Austrian capital is a city not to be missed. The former imperial capital has plenty of impressive palaces, museums hosted in historic buildings, monumental churches, elegant public squares with statues and private buildings from all periods. The historic center is overwhelming with beautiful buildings at every corner, […]

Gothic Franciscan Church in Vienna (Minoritenkirche)

Though the place was assigned to Italians, the name Minoritenkirche does not signify the church of minorities, but is reminiscent of a Latin expression with which Francis of Assisi called his followers. „Fratres minores” meant „the little brothers”, or even the modest brothers, as the order emphasized poverty, humility and social involvement. The French Gothic […]

Romantic Benedictine church in Klagenfurt on Maria Worth See peninsula

Carinthia is the southern region of Austria, famous for its ski resorts in the Alps, for its splendid lakes and for the numerous hiking paths in the surrounding mountains. The region has a long border with the north of Italy, which is crossed by excellent highways that break through the Alps with many long tunnels. […]

Prater, the amusement park of Vienna

This part of Vienna has been a place for relaxation and entertainment for Austrians since 1766, when emperor Joseph II opened his hunting ground to the public. It evolved with the centuries from only a meadow with coffee shops to a fair with carousel, roller coaster, people dressed in fairytale characters, carriages and everything else […]

Vienna Parliament building

Designed by architect Theophil von Hansen, the Parliament Building is an outstanding construction, in a city packed with impressive architectural monuments. The building is inspired by Greek architecture, as a symbol of the home of democracy and was the legislative building of the Austrian Hungarian empire. A large ramp climbs to the entrance from both […]

St Augustine church in Vienna, the personal church of the imperial family

Situated right next to the Spanish Riding School and to Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the Habsbourgs, the church of St Augustine has a history as long as the imperial family. It was here that the royal heads attended the weekly masses and also here some very famous weddings took place. Among those who […]

Rathaus, the Town Hall of Vienna in Friedrich Schmidt Platz

In a capital of architectural class like Vienna, the town hall couldn’t be anything less than a work of art. The Rathaus, as it is known, looks like an aristocratic palace but is in fact much recent than its look. The reason is that its architect, baron Friedrich Schmidt deliberately chose a historic architectural style […]

Salzburg, the city where Mozart lives on every street

Salzburg is to classical music what Memphis Tennessee is to rock and roll. You don’t see fans with side whiskers, but it’s clear that everybody has a white wig somewhere in the closet at home for special occasions. And the entire city is preserved in the Baroque shape that the brilliant child admired so much. […]

Baroque churches of Johann von Erlach

Though the Salzburger Dome is the most famous and the biggest cathedral in Salzburg, there are also other Baroque churches in the city of Mozart. The most important two, the Holly Third Church and the Collegiate Church, are the work of perhaps the most important Austrian architect, Johann von Erlach, the same man who designed […]

Museums’ square in Vienna’s Maria Theresa Plaza

Half of millennium ago, on the place of Ringstrasse, the most important boulevard in Vienna, stood the mighty city walls that stopped the Ottoman army in its march to the heart of Europe. At the orders of the Hapsburg emperor Franz Josef, the remains of the walls were turned into a wide boulevard in the […]

The tradition of depicting sufferance in the Catholic and Protestant art

The passion of Christ is a popular theme in the Western Christian world, that is almost absent from the Orthodox churches. The later followed the tradition of symbolic representation in icons. When Renaissance came in the West, with its rediscovery of the human body as it was presented by the sculptures of Antiquity, the two […]

Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, the National Library of Austria

The Hofburg Imperial Palace has witnessed history from the time of Habsburgs to modern era, but its cultural value overwhelms its past. When this place was first used by the monarchs of Vienna we do not know, but it was already a royal residence in the 13th century, expanding and being rebuilt constantly. The Hofsburg […]

Votive Church in Vienna and the Neo-Gothic

Unfortunately, as the church was under restoration process, I only have some modest pictures from the outside of this Gothic wonder. Though built in the middle of the XIX century, the Votive Church integrates very well in a city that takes great pride in its medieval heritage. The architect Heinrich von Ferstel, who was only […]

Salzburger Dom, the baroque cathedral of Salzburg

The plaza of the catholic cathedral is the central point of Salzburg, Mozart’s hometown. It is the oldest cathedral in the city and one of the largest in Austria. Its monumental proportions are the endeavor of the ambitious archbishop Wolf Dietrich and of the Italian architect Santino Solari. This baroque masterpiece is the place where […]

The Evangelical Church of Salzburg, a triumph of faith

The elegant Lutheran cathedral in Salzburg is a testimony of endurance after a turbulent time. It was built in 1867, by the local protestant community after the shock of the religious cleansing a century before. In 1731, the followers of Martin Luther’s Reform movement were forced to leave the city and their possessions by the […]

Schonbrunn Palace, the residence of Habsburg emperors

A landmark of Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the imperial house of Austria, is among the most important tourist attractions of the city. Be sure to reserve a whole day for a complete tour of the 1442 (!) rooms palace, the zoo garden, the famous labyrinth, the botanical garden, and all the alleys […]

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