Augustinian Church

Vienna, Austria

Augustinian Church was originally built in 1327 as the parish church of the imperial court of the Habsburgs. In 1634, the Augustinerkirche became the parish church of the imperial church. As imperial church, many Habsburg weddings took place there, including the wedding of Archduchess (and future Empress) Maria Theresa in 1736 to Duke Francis of Lorraine, the wedding of Archduchess Marie Louise in 1810 to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France, and the wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1854 to Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria.

The nave was built under architect Dietrich Landtner from 1330 to 1339, but not consecrated until 1 November 1349. As the nearby Hofburg expanded, the Augustinerkirche gradually became engulfed by it and today is a part of the complex. Although inconspicuous from the outside, the inside is more ornate. During the reign of Emperor Joseph II, 18 side altars were removed in 1784 when the church was restored in the gothic style. A new side altar was added in 2004, dedicated to Emperor Karl I of Austria (1887–1922) who is on the path to being recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Loreto Chapel, to the right of the main altar, holds the silver urns containing the hearts of Habsburg rulers, while their bodies are kept in the Imperial Crypt. Herzgruft contains the hearts of 54 members of the imperial family.

Notable among the church's monuments is the memorial to Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria sculpted by Antonio Canova, in 1805.

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Founded: 1327
Category: Religious sites in Austria

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Tamas Bakos AC (13 months ago)
Beautiful church in the heart of Vienna.
Walking Sebastian - Tour Guide (14 months ago)
The wedding of the famous couple - Princess Sisi and Emperor Francis Joseph I - took place in this church. If this wedding took place today, not only the invited guests would watch it, but thanks to television cameras, viewers all over the world could watch the entire ceremony. Subsequently, photographs and discussions about the ceremony, the wedding guests, the groom, and especially the bride and her wedding dress appeared in the press. But 200 years ago, everything was different. The Hofburg Palace, the residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna, was connected by a closed passage (today it no longer exists) to the Augustinian Church. František Jozef walked through this corridor directly with his bride Sisi to the church, where only selected invited guests were allowed to participate in the wedding ceremony. No representatives of the press or illustrators recorded this historical moment in the form of a detailed article or image. And so, as true as it sounds, there is certainly no surviving evidence of what kind of wedding dress Sisi was wearing that day…
Hristijan Gjorgievski (15 months ago)
The stunning Augusitnerkirche is part of the Hofburg complex. It’s simplicity makes it somehow even better than some other baroque neighbors. It is rich in history and meaning— especially for catholic royalists. This is where you can also see/hear the famous Viennese boys choir. Spare a few minutes for a visit. It’s free. Or even attend Sunday mass.
Anna Pavlenko (17 months ago)
Sunday Mass at 11 am accompanied by symphony orchestra, choirs and organ music. Its amazing. Its a real pleasure. Better arrive earlier because 10 min before the Mass all places were busy. People stay in the aisles. Mass was 1,5 hours. Admission is free but donation is very welcome. Dont forget take a look on cenotaph of Archduchess Maria Christina
Kevin Durban (2 years ago)
Really beautiful church that is gothic in design but simpler and brighter than many similar churches. It’s easy to miss so it was very quiet on the afternoon we stopped by.
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