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Augustinerkirche
Fifty-four Habsburg hearts rest in silver urns behind the wrought iron gate in the Loreto Chapel. This plain church on Josefsplatz started in 1327 when Frederick I donated land to Augustinian Hermits. The three-aisled Gothic hall church was consecrated in 1349. By 1634 it became the Habsburgs' official court parish and Vienna's most prestigious wedding venue—Franz Joseph I married Elisabeth here in 1854, Maria Theresa in 1736. The neo-Gothic high altar by Andreas Halbig was originally rejected elsewhere but found its home here in 1874. Emperor Joseph II restored the Gothic character in 1783. Inside, Antonio Canova's white marble memorial to Archduchess Marie Christine stands as a masterpiece of devotion and artistry.
Did You Know?
- :fact: The Augustinerkirche served as the imperial court church for nearly 300 years, hosting royal weddings including the proxy marriage of Archduchess Marie-Louise to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810, making it a key site in European royal history.
- :fact: Inside the Loreto Chapel, a hidden 'Vault of Hearts' holds 54 silver urns containing the hearts of Habsburg rulers—each urn is placed in order of death, with only Emperor Matthias’s urn made of gold, a unique tradition that fascinates visitors of all ages.
- :fact: The church’s unassuming exterior hides a magnificent interior, including a masterpiece cenotaph by Antonio Canova and a high altar originally crafted for Vienna’s Votivkirche but rejected for blocking the view—now a centerpiece in the Augustinerkirche.