- CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA -

Salzburg Part 3

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Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) is a 17th century baroque cathedral dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg. Mozart was baptised here.

The site occupied by the Salzburg Cathedral was probably a sacred place for sacrifices in Celtic as well as Roman times. The first cathedral was built under Saint Vergilius of Salzburg, who may well have used foundations by St. Rupert.

The so-called Virgil Dom was built from 767 to 774 and was 66 metres long and 33 metres wide. Archbishop Arno (785 – 821) was the first to arrange renovations of the Dom. In 842, the building burned down after being struck by lightning. Three years later, rebuilding started.

Under Archbishop Hartwig a choir with a crypt was built between 1000 and 1020. Under Archbishop Konrad 1 the west-towers were built between 1106 to 1147. This original church thus experienced at least three extensive building and rebuilding situations during the early middle ages and the final result was a somewhat ad hoc Romanesque basilica.

In 1598 the basilica was severely damaged and after several failed attempts at restoration and reconstruction the building was finally ordered to be demolished by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich (Archbishop from 1587-1612). Wolf Dietrich was a patron and supporter of modern Italian baroque architecture having had experience of it in Italy and particularly Rome. Indeed, it was Wolf Dietrich who was also responsible for the building of the nearby Altes Residenz, which is today connected to the cathedral.

Wolf Dietrich hired the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi to prepare a plan for a comprehensive new Baroque building. Construction did not begin, however, until Wolf Dietrich's successor, Markus Sittikus (Archbishop from 1612-19), laid the cornerstone of the new cathedral in 1614. The present cathedral was designed by Santino Solari who fundamentally changed the original Scamozzi plan. Building was completed in less than fifteen years in 1628.

The present Cathedral is built partially upon the foundations of the old basilica. Indeed, the foundation stones of the preceding church building may be seen in the Domgrabungen, an excavation site under the cathedral. The site also features mosaics and other artifacts dating from the forum of the Roman city Juvavum. One other surviving relic that predates the baroque edifice is a 14th Century Gothic baptismal font. The relics of Saint Rupert were transferred here when the building of the present cathedral was completed.

The finished church is 466 feet (approximately 150 metres) long and 109 feet (approximately 30 metres) high at the crossing under the dome. The baroque style introduced in the time of St. Rupert can be seen in the choir and the nave. The cathedral was partially damaged during World War II when a single bomb crashed through the central dome over the crossing. Repairs were somewhat slow to take place, but restoration was complete by 1959.

Churches and cemeteries are central to a Mozart tour. Salzburg Cathedral, where he was baptized and served as organist, has no fewer than five pipe organs: the large main organ at the back of the church plus four intersection organs near the altar

The organ that is in use for services today was built in 1988, but the old organ is essentially the same as the one built by the famous organ builder Josef Christoph Egedacher in 1703. Mozart served as organist here from 1779 to 1781. Some of his compositions, such as the Coronation Mass, were written for the cathedral, and many were performed here for the first time.

One of the cathedral galleries (left)

The cathedral crypt (right)

A farewell blessing! (left)