Royal Figure
c. 748, Frankish Kingdom - 28 January 814, Aachen
The emperor who made Salzburg matter. Charlemagne never lived in the city, but his sponsorship of Arno of Salzburg led directly to Salzburg’s elevation to an archdiocese in 798. That single act transformed a regional bishopric into the ecclesiastical capital of Central Europe and the gateway for the Christianisation of the East.
Charlemagne and Arno were close friends and correspondents. Their letters survive to this day. The intellectual culture Charlemagne championed across his empire found one of its strongest outposts at Stift St. Peter and Salzburg Cathedral, where Arno built a centre of Carolingian learning that shaped the city for centuries.
On the map
The 2 places on this page, where they actually stand.
Locations
Consecrated 1628
The first baroque cathedral built in the German-speaking world, and the dominant church at the heart of Salzburg's Altstadt. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptised here on 28 January 1756. The site has held a cathedral since 774, when Saint Virgil of Salzburg consecrated the first one.
Founded c. 696 AD
The oldest continuously existing monastery in the German-speaking world. Founded by Saint Rupert of Salzburg around 696 AD. The church interior is the work of Beda Seeauer (rococo redecoration, 1760-1782). Michael Haydn is buried in the crypt. Altomonte's altar paintings enrich the abbey church. The Stiftskeller St.
