St. Peter’s Abbey, or Stift Sankt Peter in German, was founded over 1300 years ago in 696 by St. Rupert. The building as it stands today is however much different than the Frankish missionary left behind all those years ago.
The original church was heavily damaged in a fire in 1127, and shortly afterwards the construction of what the Abbey is today was started.
The Abbey also underwent substantial changes to its interior when, in the 18th century, extensive renovations were done in the Rokoko style by the art loving Abbot, Beda Seeauer.
The interior of the church, with its high marble pillars and frescoed ceiling, is much more impressive than its exterior, and there are a number of points of interest to take in when visiting.
The Rupert Alter is located in the main nave of the church, behind which is the Felsengrab, believed to be the tomb of the Abbey’s founder, St. Rupert. The red marble tomb of St. Vitalis is also here, on the right hand side of the church.
The two large bronze candlesticks dating back to the 15th century are also worth seeing during your visit.
St. Peter’s Abbey is located in the city center easily reached by foot from anywhere in the Salzburg city center. The cemetery and catacombs are also worth a look while visiting this historic church.
St. Peter's Abbey (Stift Sankt Peter) Reviews
Definitely different to the Salzburger Dom, it's hard to say which we enjoyed more.
The catacombs and the cemetery here were really interesting though.
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