Mausoleum

An imperial place of rest right next to Graz Cathedral. Turquoise domes stand out against the bright blue sky above the mausoleum, forming a magnificent cityscape together with the cathedral and St. Catherine's Church. One immediately feels transported to the South, as the ensemble enchants visitors with its almost Florentine-like flair. Emperor Ferdinand II had his court painter Giovanni Pietro de Pomis plan this impressive tomb in Graz.

Guided tours are also possible in winter by appointment - inquiries can be made through the Diocesan Museum: T +43/316/8041-890 or the parish office T +43/316/821683

The so-called Graz city crown features important buildings such as the cathedral, the castle, the Old University, and today's priest seminary (originally a Jesuit college). Yet it is the dome landscape of the mausoleum that also visually crowns the city.

In 1614, Ferdinand commissioned his Italian court painter and architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomis to construct a mausoleum and a church of St. Catherine architecturally connected to it next to the present cathedral. This gave rise to one of the architecturally most significant building complexes of the early 17th century in Austria. The oval dome over the crypt chapel is the first of its kind outside Italy. The finely composed façade of St. Catherine's Church reflects the contemporaneous taste at the transition from the Renaissance to Baroque. As a gable figure, St. Catherine of Alexandria gazes towards the opposite Jesuit college, where Graz University was founded in 1585. Catherine is regarded as the patroness of universities.

In 1619, Ferdinand received the imperial dignity and left Graz for Vienna. The construction work on the mausoleum came to a standstill. Thus, Ferdinand II. was buried in a semi-finished, "drafty" tomb in 1637. Only his grandson, Emperor Leopold I, commissioned a young Graz artist for the interior decoration. This young artist later became the famous master builder of Austrian Baroque, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

The crypt is dominated by an impressive red marble sarcophagus. Inside rests Ferdinand's mother, Maria of Bavaria. Only an inscription on the wall indicates where the grave of Emperor Ferdinand II is located.

By the way: In the barrel vault of St. Catherine's Church, there is an interesting representation of the liberation of Vienna from the Turks in 1683. In heaven, Emperor Leopold I is glorified as the great victor over the infidels. Although he had fled to Passau in time before the Turks and only returned to the city of Vienna after their departure...