St. Cajetan Church, Salzburg, Austria

In 1591 Archbishop Wolf Dietrich purchased a hospital and church in today's Kai District to establish a seminary. It was to be managed by an order of Theatine monks, founded by St. Cajetan and Pietro Caraffa in 1524. The order was brought to Salzburg in 1685 to found a new mission. Shortly thereafter a decision was reached to build a church and abbey in the Kai District at the very same location.

Gaspare Zugalli was commissioned as the architect and the brothers Francesco and Carl-Antonio Brenno and Antonio Carabelli provided the stuccowork. Construction of the Cajetan Church was discontinued upon Max Gandolf's death in 1687. It was completed in 1696 under Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun and consecrated in 1700. The Theatine mission in Salzburg was dissolved in 1809 and the Cajetan Church almost fell to ruin. The church and abbey were turned over to the Brothers of Mercy in 1923, who took care of its maintenance. The building was used as a hospital during World War II. It was damaged by bombs in 1944 and later restored.

The Cajetan Church is a typical product of the Italian Baroque in Salzburg. The broad, palatial façade connects the church and abbey to form a single unit. It has a mighty tambour dome, giving the building its sacred character. The stuccowork inside the church lends a festive, elegant and distinct atmosphere. The dome, designed to allow light to flood in, dominates the room. The fresco in the mighty dome depicts the 'Glory of St. Cajetan'. The high altar has a painting of 'The Martyrdom of St. Maximilian'. The oldest preserved organ in Salzburg, built around 1700 by Christoph Egedacher, is installed above the vestibule in the gallery parapet. The Sacred Stairway, built in 1712, is a special feature of the Cajetan Church and should only be ascended on one's knees. It is still reminiscent of the baroque forms of piety.

References:

Salzburg Tourism

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Michele Trotta (2 years ago)
Beautiful, to visit internally. Beautiful frescoes

Hildegard Brandstaetter (2 years ago)
Beautiful place to stop

Klaus Wanderer (3 years ago)
Beautiful church on the outside, at the present they are doing restoration works inside so it's closed

Johannes Wächter (5 years ago)
A very special place to meet God. The Savior lives in the heart of the Hospital of the Merciful Brothers and invites you to meet. Here what is sick and weak can truly be healed! Come on and just give it a try. On the left side altar you can find the holy family with the mother Anna. In addition, the patron saint of Salzburg, St. Martin is depicted. He cares especially for the needy and sick!

St. Cajetan Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus