St. Peter's Abbey
[edit this]St. Peter Bezirk. Abbey and Benedictine Monastery, founded by St. Rupert about 700, the latter with romanesque and gothic cloisters. The church is high romanesque convertedto late-baroque. St. Peter's cemetery, the final resting place of prominent personalities, e.g. Nannerl Mozart.
The St. Peter's Cemetery (Petersfriedhof) in Old Town Salzburg has a fascinating history. It's one of Europe's oldest cemeteries; the catacombs in the cliff (Moenschberg) behind date to 215 AD. A small church is also partially contained within the mountain. The St. Peter Bazirk Abbey and Benedictine Monastery was founded by St. Rupert in about 696 AD, so the church is considered "high Romanesque" but was later converted to the baroque style. Thus, only monks and priests were interred here until 1454, when the churchyard was opened to other persons. Probably a main reason people are interred here is that the graves are reused; people are buried for a period of time and then the bones are re-interred when the plot is used by someone else! It also features family crypts that date to the 17th century. It's probably most well-known for being the final resting place of some of Salzburg's most notable former residents, including Mozart's sister Anna Maria (Nannerl) in crypt LIV, Michael Haydn (composer) and his younger brother, and Santino Solari, the architect of the Cathedral (crypt 31). I've also read that Mozart's widow, Constanze, was also buried here, but I couldn't find the exact source to put here... it's really a neat old cemetery, lovingly tended, and features beautiful wrought-iron monuments and landscaping. One travel guide noted that "Salzburt's most famous poet Georg Trankl [wrote] about St. Peter's Cemetery: 'Heaven smiles silently upon this mystical garden.'" It is a popular attraction for visitors and is definitely worth a visit.
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June 02, 2007
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by terez93
| type: | Hotspots |
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