St. Mark's Church near the Klaus Gate at the foot of the Mönchsberg is a masterpiece of baroque architecture: the cornerstone for the Ursuline Convent church was laid in 1699. A smaller church located on the same site was destroyed by a disastrous rockfall from the Mönchsberg thirty years before. At the time of its construction, raising a building on the small strip of land between the Mönchsberg and the precipitous banks of the Salzach was a masterly performance.
Architectural history
Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun called on the renowned architect, Fischer von Erlach, who was also commissioned to design other churches in Salzburg. The church was consecrated in 1705 but the construction of the convent took another two decades. It served as the seat for the Ursuline Order until 1957. Today the former St. Ursuline Church, consecrated to St. Mark the Evangelist, is known by its original name again.
Architecture and interior
Three saints adorn the church's pediment: St. Mark the Evangelist in the center with St. Augustine and St. Ursula on either side. Visitors are usually stunned by the unexpected richness of the church's interior: elaborate stucco, colorful frescoes by the Tyrolean painter, Christoph Anton Mayr, and the cupola with portrayals of St. Ursula in heaven. The saints on the façade can also be found inside the church. The altar furniture and pews are embellished with fine woodcarving.
St. Mark's Church today
The Church was painted grey-green again according to old records. One of the Salzburg Foundation's most hotly-discussed works of art is located on Ursuline Square in front of St. Mark's Church: Markus Lüpertz's "Mozart" statue. Facing its counterpart, the bronze statue stands on a one-meter pedestal in the traditional supporting leg/relaxed leg pose. It is well worth the visit. The former convent now houses the city's popular Natural History Museum.
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Opening hours: Daily 9.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m.
No visits during mass!
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