A church that mirrors the city with its long history and musical associations. Where once the Minoritenkirche echoed to the sound of Ottoman cannon, it now resonates to the softer tones of classical music.
- Imposing and working church dating back to the 14th century
- Home to an Italian catholic community
- Hosts the Classical Concerts Vienna series
- See also: Concert venues | Christmas concerts | Churches
A house of God & music
(The east end of the Minoritenkirche with the famous bell tower)
Visit the Minoritenkirche website and it offers a German and Italian version. For good reason: the Italian Congregation has its home in the church, with the group’s roots going back to the early 17th century.
Not that it was always so. The Italian Congregation began their association with the building in 1786, by which time the Minoritenkirche site had already enjoyed over 500 years of history.
Remarkably, the current church dates back to the 14th century, when The Canterbury Tales were still a glint in Geoffrey Chaucer’s eye and Vienna didn’t even have its own bishop.
The trademark bell tower, for example, went up back then and proved a useful observation post during the Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683.
The interior is equally historic. For example, the 1786 organ sits in surrounds designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg. That same architect also built the Gloriette and other iconic features at Schönbrunn Palace.
Music lovers should take a look at the small monument to the Italian poet and librettist, Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782). Joseph Haydn, Antonio Salieri, and Mozart all feature on the monument’s front relief.
(Metastasio lived and worked for a long time in Vienna and is actually buried in the crypt of the city’s Michaelerkirche.)
A little more recently, the church had a small role in The Third Man. The leading character, Holly Martins, takes a volatile taxi ride through the streets of Vienna that includes a sharply-taken curve around the Minoritenkirche (twice, amusingly).
Classical music venue
(The arcade, a relatively new addition to the church from the late 19th century in the Gothic revival style)
The music connection continues today. Although a working church, the Minoritenkirche has built a reputation as a quality venue thanks to a repertoire of regular concerts.
The church hosts the Classical Concerts Vienna series of performances, for example, featuring the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and other international musicians.
To give you a flavour of what to expect, the next two concerts in this series (at the time of writing) were Mozart’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Find the full schedule and ticket information at the concert organiser’s official website.
(The main entrance featuring a central Christ figure, and various biblical figures)
During the run in to Christmas, the Minoritenkirche usually features additional concerts, such as Gospel singing and other choral works.
How to get to the Minoritenkirche
The Minoritenkirche enjoys a very central location just a stone’s throw from the Hofburg Palace complex, the Burgtheater, the Volksgarten park, and one of my favourite coffee houses: Café Central.
Subway: A short walk from Herrengasse station on the U3 line
Tram/bus: Also just a short walk from the ring trams (1, D, and 71). Get off at the Rathausplatz/Burgtheater or Parlament stops. The 1A and 2A bus lines both stop at Michaelerplatz, which is not far away, either
Address: Minoritenplatz 2A, 1010 Vienna | Website