The Jesuit Church (), also known as the University Church (), is a two-floor, double-tower 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 Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Influenced by early

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

principles, the church was remodeled by Andrea Pozzo between 1703 and 1705. The Jesuit Church is located on Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz, immediately adjacent to the old

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

buildings.

History

The Jesuit Church was built between 1623 and 1627 on the site of an earlier chapel, at the time when the Jesuits merged their own college with the University of Vienna's philosophy and theology faculty. The emperor broke ground for both college and church, with the church itself dedicated to Saints Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier. In 1703,

Brother A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used ende ...

Andrea Pozzo, S.J., an architect, painter, and sculptor, and a master in the quadratura, was requested by Emperor Leopold I to redecorate the church. He added twin towers and reworked the façade in an early

style with narrow horizontal and vertical sections. The design of the windows, narrow niches (with statues), and the small central part of the façade deviate from the Baroque style of the towers. Pozzo died unexpectedly in 1709, just before he was to move to

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, and was buried in the church. After the completion of the work, the church was re-dedicated to the

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...

Interior

Despite its relatively austere exterior, the interior is remarkably opulent with ersatz marble pillars, gilding and a number of allegorical ceiling frescoes. The semicircular vault ceiling was divided in four bays with paintings in perspective, using illusionary techniques. Executed by Andrea Pozzo in 1703, the remarkable '' trompe-l'œil'' dome, painted on a flat part of the ceiling, is a masterpiece. Wien - Jesuitenkirche, Innenansicht.JPG, Interior of Jesuit Church Wien - Jesuitenkirche, Orgelempore.JPG, Organ loft AT 119587 Jesuitenkirche Wien Innenansicht 9234.jpg, Fresco with '' trompe-l'œil'' dome by Andrea Pozzo Jesuitenkirche_Vienna1.jpg, Ceiling view from the entrance Jesuitenkirche(Universitätskirche), Vienna (interior).JPG, General view of interior Jesuitenkirche(Universitätskirche), Vienna (interior detail).JPG, Interior detail with organ Immediately adjacent is the Aula (great hall) of the Vienna's university, where Beethoven's Seventh Symphony had its premiere.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

* {{Authority control Roman Catholic churches completed in 1627 Roman Catholic church buildings in the Vicariate of Vienna City Jesuit churches Baroque architecture in Vienna Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt 1627 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 17th-century establishments in Austria

History

Interior

See also

References

External links