Two days in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart in Austria
The city is situated on the banks of the Salzach River on the northern edge of the Alps mountain peaks south of the city also contrast with the rolling plains of the north. The massive mountain nearest the Untersberg (1972 m), is a few miles from downtown. The center, called the "Old Town", is dominated by the towers and domes of Baroque churches and sumptuous palaces, designed by Italian architects also commissioned some of the prince-bishops in the seventeenth century. Salzburg is surrounded, although it would be better to say that was built nell'avvallamento by two smaller mountains, and Kapuzinerberg Mönchsberg. On it was built an imposing fortress (Hohensalzburg) white stone, surrounded by huge ramparts. This fortress, in which the bishops took refuge in times of danger, for a long time was impregnable. Today can be accessed on foot or by a funicular. The artistic and cultural splendor of Salzburg is due in large part to the interest of the prince-bishops who would carry the fate of towns between the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The first of these was the Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, who did much for art and very little for the faith, much to be frowned upon in Rome in Vatican circles. Very, including an order to set two fires that destroyed parts of the city providentially leaving the field open to the construction of the Cathedral and Residenz, the magnificent bishop's palace. Son of a Medici, the bishop grew up between Rome and Pavia and his favorite pastime was drawing landscapes and Italian architecture: just come to power so here's the great demand for jewelers, craftsmen, sculptors and architects Italians who arrived in this city and the sprinkled building sites. For his favorite (Salome Von Alt, who bore him 12 children), the bishop ordered the construction of the beautiful Mirabell castle just outside Salzburg. Von Raitenau was stopped by Maximilian of Bavaria, with the support of the pope, tried for heresy and condemned to the stake. Came to power Raitenau Von's nephew, the Prince Bishop Markus Sitticus continued the work begun by his uncle, and instructed to complete the Cathedral Santino Solari and being principal of a suburban palace, the Hellbrunn (Fontechiari), all surrounded by beautiful gardens' Italian, fountains, water features and a zoo, still very active and visited. Returning to the Old Town is particularly interesting to see how it presents its Gothic character at the same time shining clearly inspired by Italian baroque. The city's cathedral (Salzburger Dom) is at the cutting edge: a Romanesque (finished in 744) was destroyed by fire in the sixteenth century, rebuilt in 14 years, from 1614 to 1628 by Vincenzo Scamozzi and the aforementioned solar and frescoed the religious painter of the Servants of Mary Arsenio Donato Mascagni. And:
• the Benedictine Convent of St. Peter;
• Cemetery Petersfriedhof;
• the church of the Franciscans first appeared in documents of the eighth century, a basilica was erected in the thirteenth. Built in Gothic style, then partly Baroque style. Around 1220 it became a basilica;
• Fortress Hohensalzburg: fort wanted a bishop in 1077, was extended (1495-1519) following up to make it self-sufficient, a citadel armed ready to defend the city and its bishop. At the end of the nineteenth century was linked to the mainland by a very characteristic funicular. To date, appears to be the biggest fortress in Europe still intact. Particularly worthy of interest are the medieval rooms of the prince and the museum of the fortress;
• Getreidegasse (Vicolo delle Grains) with the birthplace of Mozart;
Salzburg and its downtown has been declared by UNESCO December 5, 1996 in the list of world heritage. Do not forget that Salzburg is the city that gave birth to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, though not never loved her (he wrote in a letter: "I keep very little in Salzburg and even less to his archbishop), still receives great honor . He is entitled to the Mozarteum, one of the most renowned music academies in Austria and Europe as a whole, which devotes major events each year in honor of the composer.