Kollegienkirche, Salzburg

The next church we popped into was the Collegiate Church, which was built as a church for the Salzburg University. The church took thirteen years to build and was consecrated in 1707. It was built with four chapels - each one dedicated to the patron Saint of each of the university’s faculties; theology, medicine, philosophy and jurisprudence. It has served many purposes during its life from bay store to theatre to a church again. It’s white walls and soaring dome are so different to any other church we have seen. There is such an elegance in the lack of additional marble and frescos and colour. It really makes the pieces at their altars stand out, especially the ones accented with gold. And the details in the architraves and cornices are beautiful.

There was also an art installation in the church by artist Annette Neutzner. Consisting of seven twelve metre long painted sails, representing our life path as a spiritual journey to ourselves. Each sail is a mediation on the Lord’s Prayer and the installation is called Sail set Hope. The contrast of the painted sails against the white church is quite striking, the modern against the old, so beautifully done.Read more