Stift St. Peter – Erzabtei Salzburg

Abbey church and monastery of St. Peter

The first monastery church of St. Peter was built in 696 by Bishop Rupert of Worms. The present abbey church dates from the 12th century, has been rebuilt several times over the course of time and combines elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. The historic main organ and the various chapels are of particular note. The Museum St. Peter and the Lange Galerie are accessible via the DomQuartier.

Petersfriedhof and catacombs

The Petersfriedhof came into being in late antiquity and is therefore older than the archabbey itself. Around the late Gothic Margarethenkapelle in the middle of the grounds lie numerous grave monuments and burial vaults. Well-known personalities, artists, scholars and merchants found their last resting place here. The so-called catacombs are cavities cut into the Festungsberg. They most probably date from the late antique and early Christian period and did not serve as a burial place but as an early Christian meeting place. International visitors know the cemetery and the catacombs as a location from the film The Sound of Music.

Music in St. Peter

Mozart and Haydn are closely connected with St. Peter. In 1769 the thirteen-year-old Mozart composed the Dominicus Mass for the abbot, and a few years later Michael Haydn wrote the Rupertus Mass on a commission from the monastery. Today the Baroque hall in the Stiftskulinarium St. Peter and the Romanesque Hall are regularly used for concerts, such as the Mozart Dinner Concert.

Businesses of the abbey

In accordance with the Benedictine tradition, the archabbey of St. Peter also includes a number of businesses. The Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter and the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium are worth a visit.