Graz Cathedral

Graz, Austria

Graz Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Giles. It is the seat of the bishop of the Steiermark diocese. The church was built in 1438-1462 by Friederick III in the Gothic architecture. It was refurbished in Baroque style in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

The exterior of the cathedral looks very sober today. In the Gothic period, however, the façades were covered with paintings. One fresco has been preserved - the so-called Gottesplagenbild ('God's Plagues'). It refers to a year of horrors Graz suffered in 1480.

The interior of the cathedral hormoniously combines Gothic architecture with Baroque furnishing. The frescos in the church date from the times of Emperor Frederick III. Among them: a fragment showing St. Christopher, clearly recognizable as Frederick wearing the Styrian ducal crown.

Among the most precious objects in the cathedral are the two reliquaries to the left and the right of the chancel entrance. Originally the chests belonged to Paola Gonzaga. In 1477 she married Leonhard of Gorizia and brought along her bridal chests from her native Mantua to Leonhard's castle Bruck near Lienz in East Tyrol.

Nearby is Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II.

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Address

Burggasse 3, Graz, Austria
See all sites in Graz

Details

Founded: 1438-1462
Category: Religious sites in Austria

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Anna Amanda Stolere (7 months ago)
Powerfull and impressive cathedral with automatic doors. Calm contrast to the humming Graz city centre. Worth to visit. Cathedral is rising money for complete renovation.
Reppeti (8 months ago)
Very beautiful, would visit again
Shane Dunne (13 months ago)
Usually a cathedral takes centre stage in the heart of the city - this is a little to the side but still worth the visit
Murat “F. S.” C (2 years ago)
Small but beautiful structure.. Do not forget to see the fresco about siege of Vienna in the rear of the building..
Scott (3 years ago)
This is, no doubt, an amazing cathedral. Beautiful on the inside. But I can never get over the fact that for millennia man is constructed these enormous palaces at an unconscionable expense.
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