St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church

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Area：Carinthian Street / St. Stephe Sightseeing　Genre： Sights

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Sights

One of the finest baroque churches in Vienna

St. Peters is the second oldest church in Vienna, and is classified as one of Vienna's most beautiful and famous churches.

St. Peter’s Church (Peterskirche) is an elaborate edifice fashioned after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The church was renovated in the early 18th century and more recently. Some of the architectural features and style of the 12th century structure remain and have been beautifully refurbished.

The new building

The construction of the new Baroque church was begun around 1701 under Gabriele Montani, who was replaced by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1703. The design was inspired by the St. Peter's Basilica of the Vatican in Rome. By 1722, most of the building was finished, and in 1733, the Peterskirche was finally consecrated to the Holy Trinity. The new church was the first domed structure in baroque Vienna. Due to the confinement of available space, it was built in a very compact form, with its oval interior housing an astonishing amount of space and rectangular attachments. The church makes an overwhelming impression on the visitor with its surprisingly rich interior filled with golden stucco.

View of the dome and altar

The Baroque high altar was created by Antonio Galli Bibiena and his Bolognese workshop and Martino Altomonte. The altarpiece portrays the Healing of the Lame by St. Peter and St. John in Jerusalem. The same artist also painted the altarpiece in the side chapel of the Holy Family. The small painting of the Immaculate Conception above the high altar is by the 19th century artist Kupelwieser. The shrines in the side chapels of the Holy Family and St. Michael contain martyrs from Roman catacombs, donated by Cardinal Kollonitz in 1733. They were put on clothes from this period and placed in the glass coffins.

Organ music in St. Peter

Works by Bach, Buctehude, Muffat, Mendelssohn, Vierne, Schlee etc.

Monday - Friday at 3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.

※Free entrance

General Information

Name	St. Peter's Church
Address	Petersplatz 1, 1010, Wien
Tel	(01)5336433
Opening Hours	7:00-20:00 (Sat/Sun/National Holidays 9:00-21:00)
Closed	Open all year round
HP	http://www.peterskirche.at
Admissions	Free
Access	2 minutes walk from Stephansplatz station