Coronation of Holy Mary

In a nutshell – expect this here.

If you walk down Franziskanergasse, you have to pass through a huge marble passageway to get to Domplatz square. Step through and stand by one of the last pillars. Look at the tall statue in front of you at a very straight angle. This statue is representing Holy Mary, mother of Jesus. You probably won’t be surprised now, since the title of this spot is called “Holy Mary”. However, where is her crown? To find out, you have to humbly kneel down in front of the statue. Always pay attention to the facade of the cathedral behind. Suddenly you will be able to witness how two angels are placing a shining golden crown onto Mary’s royal head.

Where can you find this place?

icon-car.png
Coronation of Holy Mary

loading map - please wait...

Coronation of Holy Mary 47.797909, 13.045311 Discover the perfect baroque gimmick of optical illusion on Domplatz Square. Details to the Coronation of Holy Mary to be found here.

The full story of Holy Mary’s coronation in Salzburg

Archbishop Wolf Dietrich had the cathedral square built. It was him, who had also built Mirabell Palace and many other imposing monuments in Salzburg. The square is surrounded by the prince-archbishop’s residence. Today, this square especially comes into focus, in summer, when the play “Jedermann” is held here as part of the well-known Salzburg Festival.

The center of the square is adorned by a mighty column made of marble and lead. The column was designed, based on the statues of Mary in Vienna and Munich and commissioned by the later Prince Archbishop Sigismund Christoph Graf Schrattenbach. (If you have a close look at the on the base walls, you will also find the bust and coat of arms of Schrattenbach there.) Similar to how female sculptures of former epoques were shaped, the wife of the sculptor acted as a model for the figure of Mary. On top of the marble pedestal the statue of the Immaculate Mary, enthroned on a pile of clouds and a globe. She is surrounded by the personifications of the angel, the devil, the truth and the church.

Coronation of Mary by the Trinity

The golden crown on the cathedral facade, which is carried by two angels had been attached to the cathedral earlier than the crowned Maria Regina. So figuring the gimmick of an optical illusion was already in the mind of the sculptor during the shaping. How exciting it must have been to present the plans to an astonished Prince Archbishop!

Forage for further odd places in Salzburg

Vienna

loading map - please wait...

Who was Joseph Rothenmeyer?: 48.182305, 16.401858
Playing Backgammon with a cow: 48.208999, 16.376385
The empty pyramid of Archduchess Maria Christina: 48.205663, 16.367719
A Bunch of Keys On The Floor: 48.220845, 16.364238
The most glamorous toilet: 48.208722, 16.369610
The lost Boulevard theater: 48.204300, 16.372000
The Last Statues of the Imperial Family: 48.203797, 16.365957
Da Vinci in Vienna: 48.209467, 16.363830
A Masonic Stone Above My Head: 48.206191, 16.372664
Antisemitism at the Jewish Square: 48.211501, 16.369854
marker icon
icon-car.png
Who was Joseph Rothenmeyer?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was buried in a common grave in Vienna, in 1971. Joseph Rothenmeyer was the gravedigger in charge of the burial and ultimately, the only person who knew the exact location of the grave and could have been of help to find  Mozart's lost body.
Find the lost place of the gravedigger in this article

Leberstraße 6 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
Playing Backgammon with a cow
Find rather curious medieval fresco from approximately 1509 depicting a cow playing backgammon with a Wolf in a house in the center of Vienna.
Click the image to find out more.

Bäckerstraße 12 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
The empty pyramid of Archduchess Maria Christina
Why was Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, different from her siblings? Why was she allowed to have a cenotaph to her memory in the parish church of the Habsburgs? What is inside?
Find the answer!

Augustinerstraße 3 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
A Bunch of Keys On The Floor
In 2008, a Memorial with 462 keys was unveiled in Servitengasse, Vienna. Who are the owners of those keys? And Why are they on the floor? Find the answer here.
Servitengasse 11 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
The most glamorous toilet
In Vienna, lavatories are worth visiting for many other reasons than the obvious one. In the center of the city you will find this one. What it makes so special can be read here.
Graben 22 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
The lost Boulevard theater
Find out the incredible story of the 1893 Boulevard Theater and what it looks like now. This story will surprise you!
Annagasse 3 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
The Last Statues of the Imperial Family
Find out where the last statutes of Franz Joseph and Sissi are located in Vienna. We give you some hints here.
Goethegasse 3 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
Da Vinci in Vienna
An exact replica of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper is hidden in Vienna's First District, let's find out where exactly and how it got there.
Minoritenplatz 2A, 1010 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
A Masonic Stone Above My Head
Find the very symbolic door to the Grand Lodge of Austria of the Freemasons. Here some details
Rauhensteingasse 3 Wien, Austria
marker icon
icon-car.png
Antisemitism at the Jewish Square
Find the story of an antisemitic inscription right in the middle of Judenplatz, an area of Vienna especially dedicated to the Jewish community.
Judenplatz Wien, Austria