Aigener Kirche: Aigen Parish Church

The Aigener Kirche is a parish church in the South of Salzburg, the district Aigen. The first church at this site was built in the 13th century, which was extended and modernised in 1411, the cemetery was first mentioned in 1447. The church is consecrated to St. John the Baptist, which is probably a reference to the medical springs nearby. Between 1689 and 1691, the Aigener Kirche was strongly altered to meet Baroque ideals. This modernisation shaped the current appearance of the church. Only the tower was built in 1717.

The church is connected with the Schloss Aigen palace and its extensive park via a road that is flanked by ancient chestnut trees. In the 18th century, this was a centre of the Illuminati Order of European-wide significance. Today, the ensemble of church, park and palace make Aigen a popular place for weddings.

The church is a parish church since 1851. The interiors were altered in the 19th century, and the entire building was enlarged in 1910. However, a renovation in 1969 helped to re-store the over-all uniform Baroque appearance. Note the many elaborate tombstones at the cemetery. Some of them date back to the early 15th century and bear the names of local nobility.

Schloss Aigen itself is private property and not open to the general public. The district of Aigen contains some interesting 19th century villas (including the one of the Trapp family, the "real" Sound of Music house), but is mainly residential and not overly appealing to international tourists who spend only a few days in Salzburg.

Hidden Treasures of Salzburg

Links

http://www.kirchen.net/
Website of the Archdiocese of Salzburg

http://www.salzburg.com/wiki/index.php/Aigner_Kirche
SalzburgWiki on the Agener Kirche (in German)


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