St Augustine church in Vienna, the personal church of the imperial family

by Victor Grigore, Webphoto.ro

Situated right next to the Spanish Riding School and to Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the Habsbourgs, the church of St Augustine has a history as long as the imperial family. It was here that the royal heads attended the weekly masses and also here some very famous weddings took place.
Among those who married here were: empress Maria Theresa, Napoleon Bonaparte and emperor Franz Joseph, whose statue can be seen right next to the church.

The Gothic simple church was also home of a small number of Augustinian monks. The history of this church goes back as far as the 14th century, during the time of Frederick the Handsome. Among the most remarkable art elements that can be seen inside the Augustinerkirche is the tomb of archduchess Christina. Sculpted by the venetian Antonio Canova, the cenotaph has the form of a pyramid, with personifications of Virtue and Mercy. A lion and an angel stand next to the entrance of the tomb which has the portrait of Maria Christina above. A great artist, Antonio Canova has made several tombs for famous personalities using the pyramid theme. The tomb found inside the Augustinian church is considered a masterpiece of funerary art history.