My previous two posts in Vienna were about Gustav Klimt and the Secession period, and lying between the Secession Building and the Belvedere is Karlskirche. Vienna has no shortage of beautiful churches, but this has to be one of the city’s finest.

Baroque architecture may not be to everyone’s taste, but I defy anybody not to be impressed with Fischer von Erlach the Elder’s  creation. This magnificent building is influenced by a mixture of Greek, Roman, Italian and Austrian classical design, and it all blends together perfectly.

Karlskirche was the brainchild of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI who dedicated the church to Charles Borromeo, the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 until his death in 1584. In 1602 he was beatified by Pope Clement VIII and then canonized in 1610 by Pope Paul V for his stance against the Reformation and his help to the poor and needy, especially during the Plague. He is the Patron Saint of Bishops and his Feast Day is on November 4^th.

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Originally posted 2023-04-29 16:37:52.