The Salzburg Dom – A Sacred Building Art

Built in the 17th century out of light colored Salzburg marble, the Salzburg Cathedral
(Salzburger Dom) is one of the main attractions in Salzburg, situated in the center of the old city.

The original church was mostly destroyed about 900 years ago, and some of remaining parts can be seen in the crypt area.

Destroyed by fire and rebuilt a few times through history, the Cathedral is a symbol of the power of Salzburg's archbishops.


This cathedral is also the site of Mozart's baptism. Mozart composed a lot of sacred music which continues to be played on the majestic main organ of the cathedral.

The three main bronze doors of the Cathedral designed by Toni Schneider-Manzell, Giacomo Manzu, and Ewald Matar represent faith, hope and charity. In front of the doors are four statues of the Evangelists: St. Rupert with a salt cellar, St. Paul with the sword, St. Peter with the key to the Church, and St. Virgil with a model of the Church.

In the centre of Cathedral Square you will see the Immaculate Column which was sculptured by Wolfgang und Johann Baptist Hagenauer between 1766 and 1771 and erected under the Archbishop Sigismund Graf Schrattenbach.

There are seven bells in the Dom. The biggest is the “Salvatorglocke” (salvation bell) of 14.256 kilograms. It is the second-biggest bell of Austria.

In the Salzburger Dom you can find paintings by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari, showing scenes from the life (10 smaller ones) and passion (15 large ones) of Christ. The stucco works were made by Guiseppe Bassarino around 1628. The four chapels along the main nave have palatine frescos. Behind the altar is Mascagni's amazing work, the Resurrection.

The organ that is in use for services today was built in 1988, but the old organ of the Salzburger Dom is still essentially the same as the one built by the famous organ builder Josef Christoph Egedacher in 1703. The 4000-pipe organ is the one where Mozart played his court-commissioned masses, litanies, chorals and sonatas.

As you leave the cathedral you will notice the statue of Mary in the middle of the square.

The Dom is known being the most significant Italian monumental structure north of the Alps.

The entry is free, so there should be no excuse for not seeing it.

If you plan to stay overnight in Salzburg, take a look and find a good hotel on this

Salzburg Hotel Accommodation site.

Here are some Salzburg Cathedral's pictures to give you an idea on how beautiful this "must visit" place is.

Have you ever seen the Salzburg Cathedral? Share your experiences with us!