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Salzburg Cathedral. Photo by Greymouser.

Top 10 outstanding facts about Salzburg Cathedral

Salzburg Cathedral is a baroque cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg in the city of Salzburg, Austria which was built in the seventeenth-century.

The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Rupert and Saint Vergilius who played an important role in its history.

The cathedral was rebuilt in 1181 after a fire even though Saint Rupert founded the church in 774 on the remnants of a Roman town.

The cathedral was completely rebuilt in the baroque style under Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau to its present appearance in the seventeenth century.

The top 10 outstanding facts about Salzburg Cathedral include the following.

1. Salzburg Cathedral Is A Masterpiece of Early Baroque

Wolf Dietrich Painting. Photo by Kaspar Memberger.

The Salzburg Cathedral was the first baroque church in Austria.

The archbishop of the then independent Salzburg consecrated the new cathedral in 1628 while the rest of Austria was busy fighting the 30-year war.

However, the history of the Cathedral did not begin in 1628 but in 774 when the first cathedral was constructed by Saint Vergilius.

Most churches in Salzburg have a statue of Saint Vergilius, alongside Saint Rupert, with his salt barrel.

The cathedral was hit by fires and damaged several times until a particularly ambitious archbishop ruled Salzburg called Wolf Dietrich. 

He desired a baroque cathedral for Salzburg as he knew about baroque architecture from his studies in Italy.

2. The Cathedral Was Devastatingly Damaged During the Second World War

Salzburg Cathedral Dome. Photo by Uoaei1.

The Cathedral regarded as a masterpiece was left untouched for centuries after it was completed.

 However, the church dome was extensively damaged during the second world war when it collapsed after the first bombing of Salzburg on the 16th of October 1944.

The cathedral鈥檚 dome was reconstructed in 1959, some 15 years after it was damaged. To remember the reconstruction  the number 1959 has been imprinted above the third entrance.

3. The Salzburg Cathedral   Is the Cultural Center of the City

Countless events such as the Christmas market, the country fair for the patron saint and the brass music festival are some of the events which are held on the squares around the Cathedral.  

The center of the old town is made up of the squares around the Cathedral.

The facade of the cathedral serves as the backdrop for the Jedermann theater during the Salzburg Festival.

A tribune seating 3000 people is set up on the cathedrals square during the festival.

In 200 days out of every year there are events held on the square next to the cathedral according to a newspaper report in 2019.

4. The Salzburg Cathedral Is the Seat of An Archbishop

Cathedrals are the seats of top religious leaders such as archbishops and bishops.

The cathedral at Salzburg is the seat of an archbishop which is a senior religious leadership position in the catholic church.  For more than a thousand years these archbishops ruled Salzburg.

Presently, the archbishops are still the head of the church but do not have power over the country. 

There are only two archbishops in Austria with one located is Salzburg and the other in Vienna.

The Salzburg Cathedral was and still is the most important sacred building in Salzburg and the center of religious life.

The archbishop seated at Salzburg Cathedral is in charge of the whole of west of Austria and the Salzburg city itself.

5. The Cathedral Holds the Relics of Saint Rupert

Saint Rupert. Photo by Thomas Ledl.

The statue of a bishop with a salt barrel can be found in every church in Salzburg. These statues depict Saint Rupert who is credited with founding the city of Salzburg.

Saint Rupert鈥檚 remains were transferred to the Salzburg Cathedral upon his death at the beginning of  8^th century after it was finished in 774. 

A black box located underneath the alter in the cathedral is the resting place of the bishop鈥檚 remains.

The black box is decorated with statues of the bishop with a salt barrel and one with a church which can be recognized when Inspected.

6. The Crypt Within the Salzburg Cathedral Is the Burial Site of Many Archbishops

Most archbishops as from 1619 were buried in the crypt located in the Salzburg Cathedral.

Initially the crypt was not accessible but after the cathedral鈥檚 reconstruction in 1959 to repair the damage caused by a bomb that hit the cathedral during second world war it became accessible to visitors.

Stairs leading down to the crypt of the Salzburg Cathedral can be found by walking to the end of the church and then to the left.

7. The Cathedral Is a Part of The Walk of Modern Art by The Salzburg Foundation

One of the modern art pieces by the Salzburg Foundation is also found in the crypt, the burial place of the archbishops.

The artwork by Christian Polanski called 鈥淰anitas鈥� is supposed to remind visitors of their mortality.

A voice in the background tells visitors what time it is while candles cast the shadow of 12 small metal figures on the wall while admiring the artwork.

Visitors to the Cathedral find the story of the French artist who made the 鈥淰anitas鈥� artwork quite fascinating

8. The Salzburg Cathedral Is Where Mozart Was Baptized

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Photo by Barbara Krafft.

The prolific and influential composer of the Classical period, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who produced more than 800 works of virtually every genre of his time was baptized at the Salzburg Cathedral after his birth in 1756.

Later in his life the cathedral was also an ideal venue for his performances. Visitors to the cathedral find the baptismal font at the end of their tour of the cathedral building. 

The upper part of the baptismal font dates back to the 14^th century whereas the bottom of the font dates as far back as the 12^th century.

In Romanesque times artists liked to portray lions in their artworks even when they had never encountered or saw a real lion.

These lions artwork  explains the lion faces that can be seen at the baptismal font which look more of human beings faces than real lion faces.

9. The Cathedral Boasts of Five Baroque Organs

Getreidegasse, Salzburg. Photo by Raimond Spekking.

Five Baroque organs i.e.  four in the crossings and a procession organ above the entrance are housed in the Salzburg Cathedral.

The organs were rebuilt throughout history and it is said that there is no other church with five organs north of the alps.

Visitors often enjoy music from the organs if they visit the cathedral during Sunday mass or during holidays.

While at Salzburg, visitors often get an opportunity to attend paid concerts or if lucky they can get a chance to attend free concerts in the cathedral.

Notices of upcoming concerts are usually placed outside the building on a large poster for residents and visitors to see and attend the concerts.

10. The Salzburg Cathedral Is Located Near Mozart鈥檚 Birthplace

Salzburg Cathedral is located next to residence square which is the main square in the old town.

The cathedral is situated 350m meters from Mozart鈥檚 birthplace in Getreidegasse, in the most popular area of the city, 200 meters away from the funicular to the fortress and 200 meters from the Mozart statue.

Visitors can reach the cathedral on foot as the old town is a pedestrian area and Salzburg is walkable. 

The Salzburg Cathedral is located 2 to 20 minutes away from most hotels within the city.