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.

References:

Graz Tourism

Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Austria

User Reviews

Nebojsa Bogosavljevic (3 years ago)
Really great and historical place, it really represents Austro-Hungarian monarchy and theirs power back then. Visitor can see old flags on the ceiling that represent Austria and minor states in their empire. Mausoleum is story for itself in the same time is cool and scary place to be, but I loved this place my recommendations to visit it.

Asiyah Noemi Koso (3 years ago)
The burial-place of Emperor Ferdinand II is a combination of mausoleum (the cupola at the right side) and a church named Katharinenkirche. Wery beautiful. It is monumental sacral and representative building from the 17th century. The mausoleum is the impressive tomb of Emperor Ferdinand II and is part of the so-called Stadtkrone. The magnificent Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II is undoubtedly Graz's most unusual building. It brings together with great harmony the mannerist character of the Austrian Baroque and the theatrical splendor of the great churches of Rome. Built under the direction of Giovanni Pietro de Pomis, the building shows strong Italian influences on the building. More or less we know the historical importance of Emperor Ferdinand II. He was a member of the Habsburg family , was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia and King of Hungary. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria, and Maria of Bavaria. That is why the size of his crypt is seen, it is enormous. The high altar is a early work of J. B. Fischer von Erlach, made from 1695 to 1697. Valuable are amazing ceiling's paintings. It is exceptionally beautiful and attractive. It is certainly worth visiting.

Beata Jurgielewicz (3 years ago)
Beautiful, must see in Graz, free entry :)

Влатко Б (4 years ago)
Nice place. Visit the room on the right side too.

Jesús Toro (4 years ago)
It's nice outside but not open on Sunday

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright larrywkoester

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Hidden Gems of Finnish Archipelago

House of the Dragon Filming Locations

Historic Landmarks of Sicily

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Looks like you are a history fan!