Inside, the cathedral is a riot of splendidly worked stucco and frescoes, all most impressive. The stucco, in particular, was of a style I hadn’t seen before: each line was picked out in a dark blackish grey, which was very striking indeed. And considering the fact that all the chapels had intricate stucco work all over the walls and ceilings, it made for a rather overwhelming experience. Although we didn’t know it at the time, the baptismal font in this cathedral is the one where Mozart was baptised. Later, as court organist for Salzburg, Mozart composed a lot of sacred music which was (and continues to be) played on the massive main organ of the cathedral.

Equally impressive is the turbulent history of the cathedral. The first church at this spot was constructed as early as 774, but in the centuries since then, there has been a lot of renovation and reconstruction. The first phase of reconstruction happened around 1177, in the wake of the cathedral’s being burnt down in 1167 by the followers of the emperor Friedrich Barbarossa. The rebuilt cathedral, a magnificent example of Romanesque architecture, lasted a further four hundred years; in 1598, another fire destroyed large portions of it. The ruling Archbishop of the time, Wolf Dietrich, ruthlessly demolished what remained, but was imprisoned by his nephew and successor Markus Sittikus before he could set about building a replacement. Sittikus, instead, got the church rebuilt as a Baroque cathedral- although he himself did not live to see its consecration. The cathedral suffered further damage during bombings in World War II, when the dome and part of the chancel were shattered. Repairs were carried out in 1959, so parts of what you see today are actually less than fifty years old.

Salzburg Cathedral (Dom) was built in the Baroque style of architecture in the 17th century. It was one of the first Baroque buildings north of the Alps, and it was built during the 30 Years War to show Salzburg's alliance with the Catholic cause and power in the Tirol. Salzburg's archbishop was the top papal official north of the Alps.

The Dom's history dates way before the present-day cathedral was built. The Dom was founded by St. Virgil in 774, and its present look only took 14 years to complete (1628-1628). At the end of World War II, Salzburg Cathedral's dome was damaged by bombings, and its reconstruction was completed in 1959.

The Dom's exterior has two green towers, and its archways are lined with the statues of the bishops who presided over Salzburg Cathedral over the centuries. The romantic Baroque architecture gives the Dom a special beauty.

Salzburg Cathedral is open May to October Monday-Saturday 9am-6:30pm and Sundays from 1pm-6:30pm and from November to April from 10am-5pm and Sundays from 1pm-5pm. If you go inside the Salzburg Cathedral (unfortunately, I was on a time limit and did not get to go inside), you must pay a small donation. 5,000 people can fit inside the cathedral. Mozart was christened here in 1756, and he was the cathedral's organist for two years. There are five organs in in the Dom and Sunday masses are held at 10am and 11:30am, and the organs play at those times.

Built in the 17th century out of light colored Salzburg marble, the Dom is one of the main attractions in Salzburg. The marble façade, crowned with two symmetrical towers, is dominated by a statue of Christ between Moses and Elijah. The three main bronze doors of the Cathedral designed by different artists represent faith, hope and charity. In front of the doors are four Evangelists: St. Rupert, St. Virgil, St. Peter, and St. Paul. The ornate façade of the Cathedral provides an indication of what to expect inside.

Our visit was right before closing time. We wanted to see everything, but tried to take our time and pay attention to the details of this amazing place. We walked up and down the aisles, admiring the richly decorated Cathedral with elaborate frescoes, stucco, marble and gold leaf. One altar is formed by several golden statues gathered around pink marble columns. The awe-inspiring dome above is decorated with paintings, sculptures and frescoes. Equally amazing, in a different way, is the world renowned 4000 pipe organ which plays at mass. The huge interior can provide mass for over 10,000 attendants.

The Dom is the first of its kind north of the Alps to be of the Italian Baroque style. Before this modern Cathedral was built, a church has stood on this spot for a long time. A visit to the crypt below shows excavation with 2nd Century Christian-Roman mosaics and the foundations of the Romanesque and Gothic churches. It is always interesting to walk around Roman ruins and discover the previous building’s foundations. Due to damage caused by the WWII, there was major reconstruction to the building in 1959.

A museum founded in 1974 is on the southern side of the Dom. Items used by priests in the church from the 12th through 18th centuries are on display. There are also many 15th- through 18th-century sculptures, crosses and paintings for you to examine.