★★★★★ 5.0
Discover
Basilika Maria Rotunda (Dominikanerkirche)
46 scenes from Mary's life paint the barrel-vaulted ceiling above your head—stop and count them, each one brushed in 1675. But here's the real shocker: this church rose from ashes. Turkish cannons nearly leveled the previous church in 1529, but Emperor Ferdinand II refused to accept defeat. He personally laid the first stone here on May 29, 1631, bringing Italian Baroque masters who finished by 1634. Six saint chapels circle around you, each altar framed with painted figures watching from above. This corner of Postgasse has hosted THREE churches in under 400 years. This spot just won't quit.
Did You Know?
- : The Basilika Maria Rotunda stands on the site of three previous churches, with the first Dominican church built in 1237 after Duke Leopold VI granted the land—a testament to the enduring spiritual presence of the Dominicans in Vienna for nearly 800 years.
- The church's stunning barrel-vaulted ceiling is a masterpiece of early Baroque architecture, introduced to Vienna by Italian master builders Spacio, Biasino, and Canevale, making it one of the earliest examples of Italian Baroque style in the city.
- Inside the church, visitors can find a mysterious painting of Saint Thomas Aquinas depicting a mystical encounter with God, where the divine words 'You have written well of me, Thomas' are written in reverse—a detail said to emphasize their sacred, otherworldly origin.