The Minoritenkirche once echoed to the sound of Ottoman cannon. It now resonates to the softer tones of classical music. A church that mirrors the city with its long history and musical associations.
- Imposing church dating back to the 1200s
- Home to the Italian catholic community
- Hosts various concerts, too
- Book concert tickets* for the Minoritenkirche
- See also:
- Other churches
- Concert venues in Vienna
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 building only became the Italian national church in 1784, by which time it had already enjoyed over 500 years of history.
Remarkably, construction on the church likely began in the 13th century, when The Canterbury Tales were still a glint in Geoffrey Chaucer’s eye, and Vienna didn’t even have its own bishop.
(The Minoritenkirche in a drawing by Salomon Kleiner published by Johann Andreas d. Ä. Pfeffel in 1724; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 31112; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
The church’s trademark bell tower, for example, proved a useful observation post during the Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683.
Curiously, that tower failed to ring out for decades following the loss of most of its bells to military requirements at the start of WWI. They finally remedied the situation in early 2024 with the arrival of 11 new bells from the Grassmayr traditional bell foundry in Innsbruck.
The Minoritenkirche’s interior is equally historic and remains fundamentally gothic, despite the inevitable additions and alterations to the church across the centuries.
(Three of the figures outside the main entrance)
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 also take a look at the small 1855 monument to the Italian poet Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) on the far right of the church after the entrance.
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 city’s Michaelerkirche church: view his coffin on a crypt tour.
Look also for the giant mosaic copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, originally completed in 1814 for Napoleon(!)
The church is full of such artistic treasures, and I strongly recommend you buy one of its booklets on the Minoritenkirche’s history and works of art (available in the vestry on my visit).
(The arcade, a relatively new addition to the church from the late 19th century in the Gothic revival style)
A little more recently, the church had a small role in the iconic movie, The Third Man.
The lead character, Holly Martins, takes a volatile car ride through the streets of Vienna that includes a sharply-taken curve around the building (which he passes twice, amusingly).
Classical music venue
The music connection does not stop at Metastasio. Although a working church, the Minoritenkirche has built a reputation as a quality venue thanks to a regular repertoire of concerts* (check the .pdf programme for the calendar).
During the Advent period, for example, the church typically has numerous Christmas concerts featuring different performers.
(The main entrance featuring a central Christ figure, and various religious figures)
Ticket & visitor tips
The Minoritenkirche is open to the public at no charge, but be aware of any services that may be held. The special 3rd-party classical concerts do, however, need a ticket from the relevant organisers.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
(Nothing on your dates? Try some alternative concerts*)
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, just the other side of Palais Niederösterreich.
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