Postgasse 4
Tel. 512 9174
Subway: Stephansplatz, Schwedenplatz
Open: 7am- 7pm Mon- Sat, 7am- 9pm Sun
Dominikanerkirche is a Roman Catholic Church that was constructed in 1237 by the Dominican order of Catholic monks. They came to Vienna in 1226 and soon established their own church. Little have been reserved since the medieval times since it was remodeled in 1630's under supervision of Antonio Canevale. Dominikanerkirche got a splendid Baroque architectural appearance you see today. Frescoes above high altar were painted by Viennese masters of Rauchmiller and Tencala.
The Order of the Dominicans was founded in 1226 by
Duke Leopold VI. On a plot of land for the monks, near the gate, a
monastery with a chapel was built. The Romanesque chapel was
consecrated in 1237, but already in 1283 - after destruction by two
fires - the construction of a new and larger, this time Gothic
church was decided. In 1302, the choir of this church was
consecrated by the Dominican Cardinal Nikolaus Boccasini (later Pope
Benedict XI). In the course of the First Turkish Siege in 1529, the
church Dominikanerkirche was mostly removed, in order to strengthen
the Viennese city wall with the building material thus obtained.
On May 6, 1631, Emperor Ferdinand II laid the foundation stone
for a new baroque church. After about three years, the shell was
completed, the consecration took place on October 1, 1634. The dome
and facade of Dominikanerkirche were finished only later, built from
1666 to 1674. At that time, the Dominican Church was after St.
Stephen's Cathedral, the second largest church in Vienna.
In
1927, the status of church Dominikanerkirche was raised to the
basilica minor by Pope Pius XI.