Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II

Graz, Austria

The Mausoleum of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II is located next to the Cathedral of Graz. Turquoise domes stand out against the blue sky above the Mausoleum and, together with the Dom and Katharinenkirche church, define one of the city’s magnificent views.

In 1614 Ferdinand commissioned his Italian court painter and architect to erect a mausoleum and an adjacent St. Catherine's Church next to today's Cathedral. It was to become one of the most important buildings of the early 17th century in Austria. The oval dome above the tomb chapel was the first of its kind built outside Italy. The façade of St. Catherine's is composed with rich small details and demonstrates the taste of time at the threshold of Renaissance and Baroque. As a gable statue, St. Catherine of Alexandria is looking to the former Jesuit college opposite, where in 1585 Graz University was founded. After all, St. Catherine is worshipped as the patron saint of universities.

In 1619 Ferdinand was elected emperor and left Graz for Vienna. Construction work at the Mausoleum came to a standstill. So in 1637 Ferdinand was laid to rest in a half-finished tomb. The vault is dominated by an impressive sarcophagus of red marble. It is the final resting place of Ferdinand's mother, Maria of Bavaria. Just a plain tablet on the wall indicates the grave of Emperor Ferdinand.

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Address

Burggasse 2a, Graz, Austria
See all sites in Graz

Details

Founded: 1614
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Austria

More Information

www.graztourismus.at

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

thvs86 (9 months ago)
The Imperial resting place. Worth seeing at least from outside. Closes at 17:00 usually.
K R (9 months ago)
While we couldn't actually get into the mausoleum (it's only accesible via guided tour and we ran out of time to book one) the building on the outside is very impressive indeed. It's really close to the city center so it's one of the must-see's when visiting Graz.
Steven Jooste (12 months ago)
Certainly on of my most favorite buildings in Graz. An imperial place of rest next to the Dom. Turquoise domes stand out against the blue sky above the Mausoleum and, together with the Dom and Katharinenkirche church, define one of the city’s magnificent views. You could almost have been whisked away to the lands to the south, given how this ensemble enchants any visitor with more than just a hint of Florentine flair. Here in Graz, Emperor Ferdinand II had his court artist Giovanni Pietro de Pomis lay out the impressive tomb.
Francisco Chamorro (14 months ago)
I had a problem when visiting this place, I went to pay with a €10 and the lady in the front informed me that she didn’t have change...mind you the entrance fee is €6, how do you not have change for that amount? I asked her if she would charge me the student rate since it was €5 and I’m pretty sure she would have change, she informed me that she couldn’t unless I had a student ID, which is idiotic since it’s not my fault she didn’t have change. So I had to go around asking for someone to change me a €5 note into coins so I could go in. How do you not have change?!? Its ridiculous. Either way the place is not worth €6, I would say €4 at most.
Anton Varga (17 months ago)
A hidden treasure in Graz. Not well marketed but well worth the visit. The staff were very helpful. Views from the top of the tower are excellent. Watch out for the bell chimes if you are up there. They are very loud!
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