Dom (Graz Cathedral), Graz

Standing beside the former imperial mausoleum in the historic heart of Graz, Graz Cathedral is one of the city’s most important Gothic landmarks. Dedicated to Saint Giles, or Saint Aegydius, it occupies a site where an earlier church had stood since 1174. While that original church stood outside the oldest fortifications as a fortified chapel, the present late-Gothic cathedral was begun around 1438 under Emperor Frederick III inside the newly expanded inner ring of defenses, built to integrate directly with his imperial castle complex.

The exterior is relatively restrained, with a walled choir, buttresses, ridge turrets, a large roof turret, metal doors, old tombstones, and a sculpture of Saint Aegydius. Most of the original façade frescoes were later whitewashed, but one remarkable survivor remains: the famous “Picture of the Plagues.” It shows the disasters that struck Styria in 1480: war, plague, and a locust invasion.

Inside, the cathedral is a spacious hall church, with three naves divided by strong pillars and enriched by later side chapels. Visitors can look for the dated plaques in the choir and sacristy bearing Frederick III’s mysterious motto, AEIOU, often interpreted as “Austria is destined to rule the world.” The long choir lies beyond a tall triumphal arch, flanked by two reliquaries on marble plinths. The Baroque high altar, installed in 1733, replaced an earlier Renaissance altar, while the Baroque organ gallery adds to the richly layered interior.

Together with the neighboring Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II and nearby Graz Castle, the cathedral forms one of the city’s finest historic ensembles.