Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburg

Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburg

Dedicated to Saints Rupert and Vergilius, the Salzburg Cathedral is an imposing Baroque church which houses the 14thcentury Gothic baptismal font in which legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.Originally founded on the site by Saint Vergilius in 767 AD, the church owes its present design to 17th century reconstructions, and repairs post World War II.

Dedicated to Saints Rupert and Vergilius, the Salzburg Cathedral is an imposing Baroque church which houses the 14thcentury Gothic baptismal font in which legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.

Originally founded on the site by Saint Vergilius in 767 AD, the church owes its present design to 17th century reconstructions, and repairs post World War II. At the centre of the Cathedral's plaza is the Maria Immaculata Column with a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a globe, with allegoric figures representing angels, the devil, wisdom, and the Church at the corners of the pedestal. The Untersberg marble façade is framed by 81 metre tall green-domed twin towers and is divided into 3 horizontal sections. The lower section has 3 portals with bronze doors representing the virtues of Love, Faith and Hope. The portals are flanked by figures of Saint Rupert holding a salt barrel, Saint Virgilius holding a church, Saint Peter holding keys, and Saint Paul holding a sword. The middle section has statues of the four evangelists—Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, and Saint John. On top are statues of Moses holding the Ten Commandments, and Elias with a Christus Salvator representing the Transfiguration of Jesus. The tympanum has the coat of arms of the builders of the cathedral, Markus Sittikus and Paris Londron.

The interiors feature several works of art, including ceiling frescoes on the nave by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari depicting scenes from the life and the Passion of Christ. The white and black stucco work by Guiseppe Bassarino are also of note. The 71 metre high cupola has frescoes of scenes from the Old Testament The high altar is painted with Mascagni's Resurrection of Christ, above which are statues of Saints Rupert and Vergilius. The crypt has the burial vaults, tombs of Archbishops of Salzburg, ruins of the old Romanesque church, and other artifacts. The bronze baptismal font in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Mohr were christened has 16 reliefs of saints, bishops and abbots of Salzburg, along with lions at its base. The church has 5 organs from different centuries.

The Cathedral Museum showcases collections of liturgical objects and objets d'art from the Salzburg archdiocese, including the 8th-century Carolingian Cross of St. Rupert, Gothic statues and paintings, and items from the Cathedral Treasury.