Minority Church in Vienna

The Minorite Church was founded in 1275, becoming one of the first Gothic churches in Vienna. The first changes in the architecture of the building occurred quite quickly: in 1328, a chapel was built in honor of Louis IX Saint. The chapel had a separate entrance and did not connect to the church. However, the merger took place in 1340, creating a three-nave single room.

Over the years, the church has remained unchanged. Twice during the Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683, the tower was partially destroyed. Strong changes occurred during the eviction of minorites due to the policies of Emperor Joseph II in 1782.

At the beginning of the XIX century, a mosaic copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper was installed in the church. The mosaic was commissioned by Napoleon for the Belvedere, however, proved too large for those interiors. When the mosaic was completed, Napoleon was deposed, so Franz I had to pay for the order.

Interestingly, during the construction of the subway in the 1980s, the foundation of the chapel was discovered, which is located next to the church.