The Capuchin Church () in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria, is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church and monastery run by the

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. OFMCap) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFMObs, now OFM), the ...

. Located on the Neuer Markt square in the

Innere Stadt The Innere Stadt (; ; "Inner City") is the 1st municipal Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna () located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the I ...

near the Hofburg Palace, the Capuchin Church is most famous for containing the

Imperial Crypt The Imperial Crypt (), also called the Capuchin Crypt (''Kapuzinergruft''), is a burial chamber beneath the Capuchin Church and monastery in Vienna, Austria. It was founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632, and located on the Neuer Markt square of ...

, the final resting place for members of the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

. The official name is the Church of Saint Mary of the Angels.

History

About 1599 the Capuchin brothers under Lawrence of Brindisi resided at Vienna on their way to

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, where they had been sent by

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

in the course of the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

. The church was donated by will of Anna of Tyrol (1585–1618), consort of Holy Roman Emperor Matthias of Habsburg. Construction was delayed due to the outbreak of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

and not finished until 1632, under the rule of Matthias' successor Ferdinand II. It was consecrated in 1632. The aisleless church contains the tombs of friar Marco d'Aviano (d. 1699) and architect Donato Felice d'Allio (1761) as well as a pietà by Peter Strudel. Its subterranean

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

is the

(, though usually called Capuchin Crypt, ) that has been the principal place of entombment for the

Habsburg dynasty The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

, Emperors of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, and their descendants. The lying in repose for the last heir to the Austrian and Hungarian throne, Otto von Habsburg, took place in a side chapel on 15 July 2011. The façade of the Capuchin Church building was restored in 2016, removing the line dividing the colors, and strengthening the colors.

Imperial Crypt

The Capuchin Church contains the Imperial Crypt (), also called the Capuchin Crypt (''Kapuzinergruft''), a burial chamber beneath the church and monastery. Since 1633, the Imperial Crypt has been the principal place of entombment for members of the House of Habsburg.Beutler 1999, p. 12. The bodies of 145 Habsburg royalty, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited here, including 12

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

s and 18 empresses. The most recent entombment was in 2011. The visible 107 metal

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek σάρξ ' meaning "flesh", and φ� ...

and five heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo. Some of the dozen resident Capuchin friars continue their customary role as the guardians and caretakers of the crypt, along with their other pastoral work in Vienna.

Gallery

File:Capuchin Church - Vienna.jpg, Capuchin Church interior File:Lying in repose Otto von Habsburg Capuchin Church Vienna 3919.jpg, Otto von Habsburg lying in repose File:Wien - Kaisergruft, Sarkophag von Kaiser Karl VI., Totenkopf (b).JPG, An ornament of the sarcophagus of Emperor Charles VI File:Kaiser Franz Joseph tomb - Vienna.jpg, Tomb of

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

, flanked by his wife Elisabeth and son Rudolf File:Wien Zentrum ed 2009 PD a 20091007 028.JPG, Capuchin Church information plate

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * *

External links

Official websiteCapuchin CryptConcerts at Capuchin Church
{{Authority control Roman Catholic churches completed in 1632 Roman Catholic church buildings in the Vicariate of Vienna City Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt Churches used by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter 1632 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 17th-century establishments in Austria 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Austria