Royal Figure
9 July 1578, Graz, Styria - 15 February 1637, Vienna
Holy Roman Emperor from 1619 to 1637 and one of the principal architects of the Counter-Reformation in Central Europe. Salzburg Cathedral was consecrated in 1628 during his reign, the culmination of decades of baroque ambition begun under Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau.
Ferdinand’s defining conflict was the Thirty Years’ War. Archbishop Paris Lodron’s success in keeping Salzburg neutral and unscathed throughout that war, while much of Central Europe burned, remains one of the most remarkable diplomatic achievements of the era.
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.
