| Built in 1767-76 with a silhouette which strongly influences the picture of the residences and the Mozart square. The construction is based on a roman. church dating back to ca. 800.
The Michaelskirche or Church of St. Michael is considered to be the "oldest" church of Salzburg; or at least built on the site where the first Christian church was built. Archaeologists think that it is likely that the Roman town Iuvavum, at the site of modern Salzburg's old town, already had a significant Christian community; maybe this community even survived the collapse of the Roman Empire and the gradual retreat of Roman administration (if not population) from the area. In this case, St. Rupert might have found an existing group of Christians upon his arrival at the ruins of Iuvavum - in which case he would have formalised existing traditions. In any case, Rupert's foundation, the monastery of St. Peter, owns and maintains the Michaelerkirche - which got its current face in the 18th century. Outside and interiors are in a playful Rococo style. |