Karlskirche – A Church Dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo

Vienna’s Karlskirche Is A Church Dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo :

Karlskirche – St Charles Church..

Situated on the south side of Karlsplatz is the Church of St Charles Borromeo (Karlskirche in German), said to be one of the most outstanding Baroque churches north of the Alps.

This magnificent church building, with its large cupola, was the last work of the eminent Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. The church was the result of a pledge made in 1713 by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor of Vienna. A year after the great plague epidemic Charles VI promised to build a church dedicated to Charles Borromeo a saint who was revered as a healer for plague sufferers.

The Baroque master Johann B. Fischer von Erlach started the original work from 1716 to 1722 and after his death in 1723, his son, Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, took over and completed the construction in 1737.

Karlskirche Features

The St Charles Church external architecture incorporates an interesting and diverse blend of architectural elements – the columned portico is similar to a temple from ancient Greece, the two Trajanesque columns reflect styles from ancient Rome and the dome and towers are contemporary Viennese Baroque.

Inside, the cupola frescoes by Johannes Michael Rottmayr contain 1250 square meters of beautiful and colourful paintings showing the glory of Saint Charles Borromeo.

The St. Charles Church’s 236 feet high green copper dome is a distinctive landmark on the Viennese skyline. The building also provides an important contrast to the other buildings in Karlplatz such as the Musikverein and the Vienna University of Technology.

Music at Karlskirche

Karlskirche is a working church with a strong musical tradition. Fans of Mozart’s spiritual music will be thrilled by the performance of Mozart’s Requiem here. Mozart’s last opus can be enjoyed in an amazing concert under its beautiful Baroque dome. Another regular performance is Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
See what’s on and book your St. Charles Church concerts here.>

Address:
Karlskirche
Karlsplatz
1040 Vienna

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